The Force isn't black and white
by sailorcrisp
Summary: "The Sith Empire is no more. The Sith are extinct, ending with the death of Darth Vader. The Republic was reinstated and is now under threat by the First Order. The Jedi are gone save one broken Jedi. Seems like the Force is trying to find a balance don't you think?"
1. Chapter 1

"Ah, to what do I have the pleasure for this call…." He trails off, seeing the familiar masked hooded figure. "My Lord…?"

"Have you forgotten me so quickly Lord Scourge?" The hooded figure asked. "Of course not. I did not expect to see you wearing that mask or those robes again after so long. I almost thought you would never wear them again." Scourge replies.

"It has crossed my mind a few times I must admit. But after… recent developments, I have decided I have been hiding for too long and I feel it is time to come back and remind this First Order of what the dark side truly is. This Knights of Ren group is… troublesome and needs to be destroyed. The galaxy is not protected with this… cult in charge. The empire that Darth Sidious created based on our glorious past has dwindled to a fraction of its original might. With Darth Vader gone, the last of the new Sith Order following Bane's Rule of Two is no more. You and I are the last of our kind, presuming you haven't taken any apprentices of course."

Scourge nods in agreement. "As per your instructions, I have set up some Sith and Imperial colonies in wild space over time. I have created- along with other Sith still alive at the time, an academy. We do have some successors to the original Lords and Darths that came with me. Not as many force sensitives here as there was in the unknown regions at first. We had to encourage procreation among the Sith in the hopes we get more force sensitive candidates… as well as "escorting" others from the unknown regions discreetly."

The masked figure nods in understanding. "I suppose it could not be helped. The galaxy- or at least the core worlds- are vulnerable. Even more so than during the Treaty of Coruscant. The colonies and empire that you have built is all that can protect them from any threat."

"We. My Lord. We built this empire. We are responsible for the Sith surviving. We are responsible for the rebuilding of our Empire. You may have not stayed with us the whole duration, but it was your plan. You designed this strategy and it worked. We survived. The Jedi are all but extinct, the Sith following Darth Bane's new order are extinct. You kept our order alive."

The masked figure stays silent for a few moments, Scourge patiently waits for a response. "You give me too much credit Scourge." Scourge swore he could see a smirk through that mask. "Lord Scourge, how would you feel about taking a little….expedition down to the core worlds?"

"What did you have in mind my Lord?"

"I have no problem taking care of the Knights of Ren by myself, but I thought you might enjoy the exercise. And perhaps, have a small fleet on standby in the Outer Rim."  
Scourge cocks his head in confusion. "An invasion Lord Kallig? I thought you had no interest for such things anymore?"

"No. No invasion. Just a surprise party if need be. I have been in slumber for too long. I have seen the galaxy crumble. This First Order needs to be disbanded and the Jedi Order reinstated, along with a re-establishment of the Republic. The capital of the New Republic has been destroyed. All that is left of the faction that birthed the New Republic is called 'The Resistance'. If getting rid of that cult doesn't destabilise the First Order as quickly as I would like, I would like you to bring in the fleet to help speed things along. I am quite curious to see how strong our Imperial forces actually are. You could call it a test run or skirmish."

Scourge smiles and relaxes his stance. "I am looking forward to our reunion Lord Kallig. I am sure the troops will be excited to see a glimpse of the core worlds and the origins of our Empire. They will not disappoint you. Do you require any additional Sith?"

"No. Just any you deem appropriate to supervise on the command vessels, should they be ambushed."

"Understood my Lord. Where will we meet?"

"On the moon of Yavin 4. I will send you coordinates. Oh and Scourge" the hooded figure takes off the mask and all that can be seen are yellow eyes. "I haven't been called Kallig for a long time. Last I checked, I was a member of the Dark Council and had another title did I not?"

Scourge pales, if that is even possible for a Sith pureblood. "My apologies my Lord, I meant no disrespect, I saw your mask and I assumed-" He gets cut off by a wave of the hand from Kallig. "The council does not exist. You have nothing to fear from me. I was attempting humour, but I obviously failed." The smirk drops. "Under Darth Zash, I was Lord Kallig. Darth Imperius is who succeeded Darth Thanaton. Darth Imperius is who met Lana Beniko- the former advisor to Darth Arkous. Darth Imperius is who got the Emperor- Lord Vitiate's attention. However… after my time with the Minister of Sith Intelligence and my experiences with the Emperor as the Commander and the Outlander, I feel that titles do not mean much anymore. However, you may call me with whatever title you wish. "

"Yes my Lord."

"Well then. I look forward to seeing you in person. May the Force serve you well Lord Scourge."

"And you my Lord." Scourge replies with a bow and ends the transmission.

Kallig sighs and leans back on the chair. "Query: Master, why have you decided to wear your Sith robes? I thought you said you would never wear them again and that your identity died with L- erh hem, the... Minister of Sith Intelligence." HK-55 asks arriving at the door to the cockpit. His query was met with silence. "Master?"

"Circumstances change HK. Also, I am not obliged to answer you as I am your master. You would do well to remember that in the future." Kallig states without turning.

"Observation: Oh master, you're sounding more like your old self! Eager anticipation: I can't wait to destroy meatbags like in the old days. Perhaps not as exciting or challenging as destroying Republic troops or Jedi, but it will be enough for a warm up." HK says while walking around in… well what you would call a droid equivalent of excitement. Kallig closes their eyes hoping HK leaves. 'I really am not in the mood for repairing that droid.'

HK finally stops moving around. 'Oh thank the Force' Kallig thinks, about to let out a sigh of relief until HK speaks again. "Afterthought: Master, although I am eagerly anticipating this glorious bloodbath, I just realised it is not in your character to change your mind. You don't break promises. You said your life as a Sith Lord and your identity died a long time ago. Statement: I need to know if you are damaged master so I can help you achieve peak performance master."

Kallig grips the arms of the chair tighter and tighter until HK's last statement in which the Sith Lord's eyes fly open and something snaps inside. Kallig immediately stands up and turns to HK, eyes glowing in the old familiar feeling of the dark side. " I am perfectly fine _droid._ Unfortunately, it seems the galaxy can't survive without my help, so in order to make sure the Jedi do not go extinct, I must take matters into my own hands. _She_ would not have wanted me to sit by in the corner of the galaxy watching it all fall apart when we both know I could do something about it. That is why HK. I have not broken a promise…. I am finally fulfilling it."

Kallig hears the faintest whisper in their ear, a voice of someone long ago and for a brief second sees a person with blonde hair, glowing eyes and armour smiling at the Sith Lord. Kallig snaps their eyes shut and turns away from HK. "We will start training tomorrow to see if you need any fine tuning. But for now, leave me." the Sith Lord commands and hears it walk away saying "Statement: Very well master". Once the droid is out of earshot, Kallig collapses onto the chair and breaks into sobs.

Rey was busy cleaning her staff when she felt a disturbance in the force. The intensity and suddenness of it made her drop the staff and drop to her knees. She put her hands on her head in an attempt to contain… well whatever it was. 'It feels like a mixture of 'anger, loss, fear, despair and…. Longing? Or resignation?' Rey thought to herself. 'Whoever this is, they are definitely strong in the force.' She slowly gets back to her feet.

"I must find Master Skywalker!"

Rey runs outside only to find Skywalker on the ground. She quickly runs and crouches next to him. "Master!?" Luke lifts his head "I'm ok Rey. The disturbance in the force caught me off guard. It was quite intense… Now I know how old Ben felt…" He trailed off. Rey looked at him in confusion. "Old Ben?" Luke realised his mistake "Oh yes, sorry Rey. It is what I called him growing up. His name was Obi Wan Kenobi. He was one of the last Jedi and gave me the lightsaber you carry with you now." Rey nods in understanding. "Do you think we should look for the source of that disturbance?" Luke contemplates the question. "I don't feel it is necessary, however, if you want to investigate, you can. Just be wary as those emotions you felt can lead to the dark side."

"I understand Master."

A young woman was hunched over fiddling around with blaster pieces and engine parts when she noticed a shadow behind her. She quickly turned around and relaxed when she realised who it was. "Oh Rey, you startled me. How can I help you?"

"I'm sorry Xanthi. I didn't mean to interrupt or startle you. I was looking for someone." Xanthi looks at her in confusion "As far as I know, it's only you, me and Jedi Skywalker on this island- oh and my protocol droid of course."

"Yes that's what I thought too… It's just...well...Nevermind." Rey is about to walk off when Xanthi frowns at her "Wait!" Rey stops. "I might not be a Jedi, but I did grow up hearing about the Force and the Jedi and Sith- in secret of course- but nonetheless, I do have an idea about those things. I might be somewhat of an crazy engineer and average pilot" gesturing to her crash landed ship "But it doesn't mean I don't know anything about the history before the First Order and the Galactic Empire."

Rey looks at her in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I assumed no one understanding the Jedi had survived, The truth is I felt a disturbance in the Force. Someone seemed to be in… Pain? I couldn't quite put my finger on which emotion it was. It was quite powerful and I wanted to search the island in case someone else is here." Xanthi shakes her head "Nah, if anyone else was here, I'd know about it. I had my droid put scanners up just in case. I would like to keep my two Jedi friends alive as long as I can you know." she ends with a smile.

Rey returns an appreciative smile. She notices the blaster pieces on the ground and remembers something. "Since I'm here…. Would you mind teaching me how to aim a blaster properly? I may not always have a lightsaber handy and the last time I used a blaster I missed most shots." Rey mumbles. Xanthi bursts out laughing "Of course! I may not be the best pilot around, but I am decent enough with a blaster. Just let me put it back together and we'll be on our way."

"How did you end up here anyway? I've been meaning to ask, but I always got sidetracked." Rey asks. "Well it's quite simple really…. I was just cruising along…. Didn't see the debris… should've had my deflector shield on and the next thing I know, I crash landed here. Jedi Skywalker was already here at that time. I decided that the place had nice scenery, was quiet, had nice weather and had a Jedi on it, so I thought it'd be a good place to set up camp for a while… Not that I had a choice since I have no parts to replace on my ship. But hey, the location could've been worse." Rey laughs "Yes that is true… It could've been Jakku!" They both laugh continuing their walk to the training ground.

"Query: Master, that female Jedi has been coming close to our ship several times. When can I eliminate her?"  
"No HK, she and her Master are to be kept alive. They are the only hope the Republic have left. Our concern is the First Order. Keeping yourself hidden should be your main objective at this time. Understood?"

"Resignation: *sigh* Yes Master."

Xanthi was walking around thinking of the blaster training she had with Rey. "I almost forgot how fun it can be to have company" she thinks out loud. It's been about 3 days since she last laughed and before that….She couldn't remember. She was brought out of her musings when an alert started sounding. A constant beeping was coming from her scanner. 'Someone tripped the perimeter?' she thought to herself. When she checked the camera, she swore and ran as fast as she could to her ship. There, in the camera, were soldiers in white and black armour.

"HK."

"Query: Yes Master?"

"It seems like it the time has finally arrived. How would you like to eliminate a few "meatbags"?"

Xanthi runs as fast as she could to the cave. "Rey! Rey! Where are you?" Luke immediately appears concern written on his face "What's wrong?"  
"First Order troops are here! They tripped my perimeter alarm. You two need to get away now!"

Luke has a solemn look on his face. "Get back to your ship. It's too late for us."  
"What? No!"

"Yes, this is my fight. I have been hiding for too long and now it's time for me to face my failures. Now go."

They look at each other, the choices warring in their minds being seen through their eyes. Finally Xanthi breaks eye contact and nods leaving the cave. As she's walking to the ship she hears someone yell out. "Halt! Identify yourself!" Xanthi freezes. 'Oh great' she thinks. As she turns, she quickly lifts and discharges her blaster hitting the trooper straight in the chest. She didn't expect 3 more troopers, with one actually paying attention and fired- thankfully due to her reflexes- only ended up hitting her in the arm. Suddenly Rey rushes behind them with a battle cry, cutting them down with her lightsaber.  
"Are you alright? How bad is your arm?" Rey asks upon closer inspection. "It's fine Rey… I've had worse… _much worse"_ she mutters the last part low enough so Rey couldn't hear her. "I'll be fine, my ship is over there. You should help Master Skywalker, the First Order already tripped the perimeter. I told him to run, but he refused."

Rey's eyes widened in fear. "I better go! Send a distress beacon if you're able!" and with that, she runs back towards the cave. Xanthi watches until she's out of sight before walking back to her ship.

"Frustrated statement: Master, how long must I keep up this act?" Kallig turns, a smirk visible until the mask in falls in place. "No more acting HK. Time to fill your quota of meatbags. I assume that will greatly improve your mood?"

"Anticipation: Oh yes, very much so Master." Kallig nods. "Good. Let's get them before Scourge takes away all the fun."

"Fall back!" Luke yells. Rey finishes off one of- what she presumes to be- the Knights of Ren with a strike to the heart. As she turns to run, she sees another First Order trooper. "Surrender!" he shouts, pointing his blaster at her. She rolls her eyes. "I don't have time for this" she mutters to herself and force pushes him into the wall. She meets up with Luke, only to find they're in a section with no way out. "Oh no…" Rey turns to Luke, "What do we do now?"

Luke doesn't answer. "There's nowhere left to go Jedi. It's time to finish what Darth Vader started and complete Grandmaster Snoke's training." Kylo Ren states, walking into the last section of the cave. He extends a hand to Rey. "Come with me. You have so much potential, you could even rule the First Order. I could teach you more than the Jedi ever could!"

Rey looks at him with fury in her eyes "No! I would never join you, you murderer!" and runs towards him with her lightsaber raised. "No! Rey!" Luke cries out. "That's what he wants! Don't give in to your anger! He'll turn it against you! Stop!"

Rey ignores him and tries to strike Kylo down but is blocked by his own lightsaber. She tries another strike but is again blocked. Her anger is clouding her judgement and doesn't sense the danger of being too close to Kylo Ren and why he is only blocking and not attacking until it is too late. Rey twirls, putting more force behind her strike, trying to strike him on the shoulder, but is once again blocked and then pushed back with his lightsaber, but also with the force, resulting in Rey slightly losing her footing, but it was enough for Kylo Ren and sensing the opportunity, fired force lightning at her. Rey, being too close, didn't have time to block the attack and felt it in full force causing her to be flown back and lose consciousness when she hit the ground. "Rey!" Luke cries out.

Kylo turns to Luke, "It is over Jedi Skywalker."

"Halt! Identify yourself! I repeat, ident-" the trooper starts choking and claws at his throat, only to be tossed like a rag doll into the wall. They stop as they hear a female voice crying out in rage. "Come HK, we are close." They encounter two more troopers, with what Kallig assumes to be another member of the Knights of Ren. Kallig lifts the two troopers with the force snapping their necks in a very swift manner. "I am still a Sith Assassin after all." Kallig states shrugging to HK, the Knight of Ren, none the wiser. "Admiration: You never lost your touch master. You almost put my assassination skills to shame." Kallig walks up to the knight and waits for them to turn around. "I have heard interesting things about your group. I would like you to demonstrate. Knight."

"Now Jedi Skywalker, where were we?" Kylo Ren asks, lifting his saber in a fighting stance. Luke looks hard at him searching through his eyes and eventually releases a breath. "It seems I have no choice but to fight you. It seems like Ben is truly dead." Luke says sadly. He slowly removes his lightsaber from his waistband, and holding it up in a ready stance, with the bright green blade illuminating him. As Kylo was about to charge, a cry of someone in pain was heard and then pleading, which was getting louder and louder. "What is that? You! Go now!" Kylo Ren snarls pointing at the troopers and another knight, only to see one limping backwards as if it was backing away from someone. Before anyone could ask, he collapsed to his knees, choking. "Pl-Please-e, M-Mercy… No-Not like…..this-s…" He begged. Immediately, he could breathe and collapsed on all fours taking large gulps of air. As he lifted his body up to a kneeling stance, he was greeted with a blaster bolt to his chest and he fell to the ground lifeless.

All conscious members in the cave could then hear a robotic voice saying "Observation: I am somewhat disappointed Master. They are nothing like the ones we fought in the war. These meatbags are no match for us."

Finally, a droid and a dark hooded figure walk into view. "Statement: It appears we have found them Master." HK-55 points his rifle at them. "Request: May I eliminate these meatbags now Master?" Kylo Ren had enough. "What is the meaning of this!? Who are you? You are not a Jedi, of that I am certain. What business do you have here?" Kylo demands pointing his saber at them.

The hooded figure seemingly ignores his question and instead asks "Are you injured, Master Jedi?" Luke looks at the hooded figure confused, as those robes are not of the Jedi, definitely not that of the Knights of Ren, but not quite... Sith either- or at least not of the Sith he has encountered- although the presence he felt was somewhat reminiscent to that of Darth Vader. He nods slowly, wondering if this is a trick "I am fine. But the more important question is who are you? You're not part of the First Order are you?"

The hooded figure remains silent, their attention on the unconscious form of Rey. "Analysis: Master, the scan shows that her injuries are minor." The figure nods. "Very good HK. Now I kindly suggest you all leave this cave now, save the Master Jedi and his apprentice of course." If anyone could see through masks, they would've seen an incredulous look on Kylo Ren's face. "What? How dare you? Do you even know who I am? Enough of this, I will destroy you and then Skywalker!" and with that, he charged at the hooded figure. Before anyone knew what was happening, Kylo was immediately thrown against the wall, although it appeared that the hooded figure hadn't moved a muscle. Again, Luke thought, reminiscent of Vader on Cloud City.

"I wish you wouldn't do that…" the hooded figure said in an exasperated tone. "If any of you value your lives, you will leave now. Otherwise I will not hesitate to destroy you." The knights remained, but all force users could sense their unease. "Well what are you waiting for? Destroy them!" Kylo screamed out. The hooded figure let out a sigh. "Request granted HK. Only ones not to injure are the Jedi and Kylo Ren. Understood?"  
"Affirmation: Understood Master. DIE MEATBAGS!" HK-55 shouts out firing his blaster rifle with accurate precision.

The hooded figure raised their hands unleashing force lightning at the Knights of Ren. Luke closed his eyes, remembering his first hand experience with force lightning at the hands of the Emperor, their screams not so different from his own at the time. The figure sensed him before anything else and spun around igniting their lightsaber in time to block Kylo Ren's strike. The surprise was felt by all that saw this. The hooded figure was amused. "What? You've never seen a lightsaber before?" and with that, twirled the double bladed saber, pushing Kylo back. "What? But how…? Only Jedi and Sith have lightsabers with a blade like that… All but one are extinct. And that design...and a purple blade? Who are you?"

The hooded figure regards him for a moment before lifting the hood, revealing a dark coloured ominous mask. "You may call me Lord Kallig. I was also known as Darth Imperius if you must know."

"You lie! Darth Vader was the last of the Sith! I will destroy you!" Kylo yells out trying to strike, only for it to be blocked again by Kallig and force pushed away again. "I'm sure your master will be very interested in this information, and for that reason alone I am allowing only you to live. I suggest you ask him for more... accurate history of the Sith." And without moving, to Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker's horror, the surviving knights levitated into the air clawing at their throats for air. "This is the power of the dark side. Not your pitiful Knights of Ren band. I will personally see to it that you are no more. I am quite looking forward to meeting your "all-powerful" Grandmaster Snoke." With that you could hear throats being crushed and bodies landing with a lifeless thud. "I suggest you leave before I change my mind and go after Snoke now." Kylo quickly looks at his former fellow knights then at Luke and then at Kallig and runs off.

"Well HK, how did that feel?"

"Satisfaction: If I had an emotion chip, I would be jumping for joy."

Kallig chuckled and looked at Luke who seemed unsure whether to attack, or grab Rey and run. "You have nothing to fear from me Master Jedi. I only want to keep you and Rey safe. The Jedi were not meant to be wiped out. When you created the academy, I assumed the Jedi Order would be reformed. I did not anticipate there would be a traitor, nor a new dark force present."

At that moment, Rey woke up to see all the bodies strewn across the cave as well as the masked figure next to Luke. "What's going on? Who are you?" She demanded, groggily getting to her feet.

"I suppose this will be easier to explain- and you would be more likely to listen- if I take off this mask I suppose." Kallig takes off the mask, revealing- to Luke's surprise- a normal young face. No scars or marking of dark side use, nor the piercing yellow eyes he witnessed on the Emperor. But it was Rey was responded first "What is this? But how? But you… It can't be… "

"Xanthi?"

 **A/N: The site isn't breaking the paragraphs and saving them the way I would like. So I apologise for the messy look. This is a test to see if I should continue, or redo it as a one-shot only. Feedback is always welcome, but no flames please.**


	2. Chapter 2

"I suppose this will be easier to explain- and you would be more likely to listen- if I take off this mask I suppose." Kallig takes off the mask, revealing- to Luke's surprise- a normal young face. No scars or marking of dark side use, nor the piercing yellow eyes he witnessed on the Emperor. But it was Rey was responded first "What is this? But how? But you… It can't be… Xanthe?" 

"Yes. It is me." Xanthe replies with a faint smile. Rey and Luke look at her stunned. "But, I felt no presence until now. How…-?" Luke trailed off.

"It is quite simple really, if you have been well trained in the force. In my case, I also specialised in assassin techniques, so hiding or masking my force signature was essential. Darth Sidious- known by most as Emperor Palpatine- also knew that technique. I met him when he was a senator. He was none the wiser of my force abilities. If the Jedi knew of his force sensitivity and his link to the dark side, do you think he would have been able to even be a senator, let alone Chancellor of the Republic?"

"No, I suppose not." Luke replied. "What is your purpose here if it's not to kill us? As far as I am aware, the Jedi and Sith are a threat to each other."

"Hmm, in a way yes, but my purpose is to keep the Jedi Order alive, as your kind are the only ones able to protect the core worlds at this time. The Sith are somewhat preoccupied at the moment. Despite what you may have been told, there needs to be a balance in the Force."

"I agree. That's why the time for the Jedi must end." Luke states. Rey turns around in shock,"You can't be serious!?"

Xanthe chuckles "That will not be necessary. There was once a group labelled as the Grey Jedi. Their purpose was to find a balance in the force, but unfortunately, some dabbled more dark than light. There were no guidelines so to speak and naturally some became quite ruthless and violent, eventually becoming known as Dark Jedi and so the order eventually vanished. There were other sects like the Revanites who were both Jedi and Sith, following a legendary Jedi-turned Sith-turned Jedi-called Revan. There have been many groups trying to find a balance. I'm not sure what philosophy this "Knights of Ren" group follows, but it does seem to be leaning more towards a Revanite type cult. There was an alliance that was made up of both Jedi and Sith, and for a time, it worked." For a second Rey could've sworn she saw something flicker in Xanthe's eyes before she continued on, "There needs to be a balance. Contrary to your beliefs and the Emperor's, both- the Jedi and the Sith- must survive."

Luke just looked at Xanthe and shook his head. "I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Xanthe tilted her head, amused. "Oh? Why is that?"

"Because I am no longer a Jedi. The Jedi order was destroyed when Ben joined Snoke, became Kylo Ren and massacred my students." Luke looked away. "I failed them all."

Xanthe continues to have an amused look on her face. "Oh little Jedi… How much you still don't know about the world...and life, I suppose." She sits down, gesturing them to do the same. "This scenario sounds reminiscent to your father and to an extent- Obi wan Kenobi."

"What do you know of my father?" Luke asked.

"I know a lot more than just Anakin was lured by the dark side and became Darth Vader. I was disappointed that "Old Ben" didn't tell you much of your heritage."

"How.. How did you know he went by the name of "Ben Kenobi"?" Luke demanded.

"It is quite a story actually. I will start with your father though. Now, Palpatine was quite the manipulator, as most successful politicians are. He was a senator from your mother's home planet of Naboo, advised your mother to cast a vote of no confidence which resulted in Palpatine becoming Chancellor.

When your father was taken to be trained as a Jedi, he saw- as did I and many of the Jedi- his strong connection to the Force. He befriended him, later stating that they were friends and he was the only Jedi he trusted. He convinced him that the only way to keep those he cared about safe, was to join the dark side.

Circumstances were such, that he ultimately joined Palpatine somewhat reluctantly as the alternative was for Anakin to be cast out of the Jedi Order and Palpatine to be executed. Palpatine was a clever man. The Clone Wars were orchestrated by him and the clones were… you could say, "rigged" with an override command code named: Order 66, which basically meant the Jedi were enemies of the Republic and to be executed, and executed they were, as soon as Anakin pledged his allegiance to Palpatine and given the name of Darth Vader. In fact, in order to help cement him in his new role, Palpatine ordered him to lead the 501st legion of clone troops into the Jedi Temple and kill everyone inside." Xanthe paused, looking at the solemn face of Luke and the outraged face of Rey. "I have seen this destruction with the Jedi Temple before. This time was much... cleaner." Xanthe muttered more to herself more than to them.

"Did Palpatine keep his promise?" Rey asked. Xanthe was slightly confused "What promise?"

"The promise of the ability for keeping those he cared about safe if he joined the dark side." Rey clarified.

Xanthe's amused look returned. "Heh. One bad habit of the Sith is manipulation, even amongst themselves. Always rare to find Sith with honour. You see… tragically, Vader, blinded by the rage influenced by the dark side, didn't realise he injured his wife who, despite being treated for her injuries, ultimately died of a broken heart. But not before giving birth to twins." Xanthe said giving Luke a pointed look. "After fighting with his former master and friend, Obi wan Kenobi, he suffered horrific injuries, which led him to be encased in the suit and mask most of us are familiar with. He turned to the dark side, only for his new master to tell him that he was responsible for Padme's death. So, no he did not keep his promise. However, now that Vader had nothing left, he had no choice but to fully embrace the dark side, as there was no family, no Jedi, nothing left for him. Or so he thought at least, until you, Luke."

"So why didn't Darth Vader kill the Emperor?" Rey asked. Xanthe laughed. "Well he did actually, in order to save Luke. I saw the security footage before leaving the Death Star." Xanthe explained before Luke could ask.

"Perks of being part of the Imperial Guard." Xanthe states with a shrug. "But I assume you mean why didn't Vader kill Sidious immediately, rather than stay as his apprentice for so long? Well… Based on my own experience, and the ways of the Sith, the apprentice must surpass the master.

I would assume Sidious told him there are Force techniques to bring loved ones back from the dead and only by being loyal and truly part of the dark side would he one day be taught the technique. As well for the fact that if he tried to double cross him, Force lightning would destroy Vader's suit. His suit was purposely made with those flaws for many reasons, one of them being fear of Vader's ability in the Force. Of course, being in proximity of Darth Vader as part of the Imperial Guard, I had sensed on more than one occasion of Vader's desire to overthrow his master, as is the nature of the Sith."

Xanthe looked over at Luke sensing more questions. She sighs. "Now, how I know about Obi wan… Quite simply, I met him through Senator Bail Organa- Your sister's adopted father, while I was off duty as a Senate Guard. I had visited Kenobi on Tatooine, revealing my identity and through him, discovered the location of Master Yoda. Of course it took a lot of convincing that I was not a threat, and finally he introduced me to you and your aunt and uncle. Knowing that you and your sister were both were in good hands, I returned to Coruscant to keep an eye on the Emperor's activities."

"So if you weren't with the Emperor, and you claim that the Jedi must survive, why didn't you help the Jedi or the Rebel Alliance?" Luke asked.

"It was simply not my place. Masters Yoda and Kenobi were still alive and I had assumed you would be the start of the next generation of Jedi. Also, I was not going to risk my identity and life for your lot. This was the Republic's mess, the Jedi's mess. I monitored, yes. I kept artifacts hidden from the Emperor, yes. Stage a rebellion? Not my place. I had done that once before and that was enough for me. I had relied on the remaining Jedi to salvage what they could, not die off. Sometimes I wonder why I bothered…" Xanthe muttered to herself.

"So what now?" Rey asked. Xanthe gets up and dusts herself off. "I suggest you recruit as many force sensitives as possible and Luke, you must start training Rey as a Jedi, because very soon we'll be dragged into another war."

"I will not train her. I told you I am no longer a Jedi." Luke states again. Xanthe looks at him with the same look Obi wan had when after learning the truth of his father on Dagobah, refused to fight Darth Vader. "Then, the First Order has already won. The Republic is no more." Then Xanthe's eyes hardened. "Everything you fought for was for nothing. Everything your _sister_ fought for was for nothing. Everyone that died, died for nothing. You saved your father for nothing. You should have just stayed on Tatooine Luke Skywalker." And with that, Xanthe walks away not once looking back. 

* * *

A/N: I know it's not as long as some people expected and no real Sith info yet, but I'll get there eventually... 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry guys, the text looked a lot better on MS Word, I can't seem to fix it once it's uploaded here...**

* * *

"Disappointed statement: Well that was a waste of time Master. Are we sure he is a Jedi? He seems like a useless meatbag to me."

"Unfortunately HK, yes he is a Jedi. A broken one, but still one nonetheless. Even though he tries to forget his past… Some things just can't be erased." Xanthe says solemnly as they walk back to their ship. "Conclusion: So this meatbag is just like you Master. You are still Sith, even though you had avoided anything relating to it for quite a long time. Especially when Master Beniko is mentioned." Xanthe stopped in her tracks and gritted her teeth. "I told you never to say that name and no, I am not like him. I am not weak, nor am I broken. I had served my purpose and I did not see the need to be involved in Core World affairs. Unfortunately Snoke has forced my hand by meddling in affairs that he has no place in." She snaps out and resumes her walk to the ship. HK pauses, wisely staying silent, observing his Master before resuming his walk back to the ship.

* * *

"Master Skywalker, you heard what she said! There is a war coming and we need to be ready. We need people! We need you!" Rey shouted.

Luke looked away. "I told you Rey just like I told her, I can't be involved. Restoring the Jedi Order just caused more misery. I can't train you."

Rey just looked at Luke in disbelief. "I hate to actually agree with a Sith, but in this case I believe she was right. You should have just stayed on Tatooine." She said in a disappointed tone, getting up and briskly walking out of the cave, not noticing Luke looking sorrowfully at her retreating form.

* * *

As Xanthe was about to open the door to her ship, she hears steps. "Wait!" Rey yells out. HK immediately points his rifle at her "Warning: Halt meatbag!" Xanthe waves him off "Oh HK, please. You have been told she is not to be harmed and even if she was to try and attack, she is no match for me." HK lowers his rifle, "Admission: *sigh* I know Master. It was set to stun. Disappointment: These First Order meatbags were not enough of a challenge."

"I know HK. You will get your chance at a real fight. I promise you." Xanthe says with a slight grin. Rey finally catches up "We need to talk." Rey pants out. Xanthe looks at her curiously, "The history of Skywalker is something that is easily found, but I am afraid I can't help you with your family history."

"No, it's not that, it's what you said about the war that's coming." Rey then looks in realisation and narrows her eyes "Is that even real or is it a ploy to destroy Luke and the Resistance? After all you yourself said you are Sith and Sith are known to be manipulators. Wait a minute… Is Xanthe even your name?!" Rey demands.

Xanthe looks sadly at Rey, who just a few hours ago was laughing and being taught how to properly use a blaster and probably considered each other as friends, now almost ready to attack her. "Yes Rey. Despite what you may think, that is my name. I have no reason to change it. Very few people knew me with that name. Most knew me as Kallig, Imperius, Outlander, Commander and some even referred to me as Nox. Please" Xanthe gestured, "Take a seat. I guess we have a lot to talk about."

"I'd rather stand thank you." Rey bit out. "Xanthe sighed. ' _Stubborn girl, but why should I be surprised?'_ Xanthe thought. "Very well. So now that my name is confirmed, what do you wish to know?"

"Is the war real? Is it true the Force needs to be balanced? Are you really Sith, and if so, how could you survive this long? Are there more Sith? Can you truly beat Snoke? Why do you really want Luke to train more Jedi? Why did you befriend me? Was it just to get to Luke Skywalker?!"

Xanthe's head shot up "NO!" She shouted. "How could you think that? Your friendship to me was- no, IS genuine. Friendships were never easy for me considering my life experiences. If I needed to get to Luke, I did not need to become your friend for that. You reminded me of myself long ago to be honest. I was once a slave as well." Xanthe took a breath to calm down. "You ask a lot of questions. The war? Of course it's real. The New Republic has been decimated. The First Order is trying to exterminate what is left of the Resistance. There are rumours that Snoke himself will be present with the Fleet in the Core Worlds very soon. Of course there is a war. But they have Snoke and Kylo Ren. Military might is one thing, but it is nothing compared to Force users. We don't have Jedi Master Skywalker at present.

The Resistance has no hope at this time of surviving, let alone winning any battles. If he won't come back, then at least train you to be the start of the new Jedi and the beacon of hope to the Resistance as he was to the Rebel Alliance."

Rey scoffed. "There seems to be no chance of that happening. He is adamant that he is not a Jedi and doesn't want to be involved, let alone train me. He still thinks the Jedi is what caused this mess."  
"Ah, yes. All because of one failure, he becomes a hermit like Obi wan Kenobi. At least Kenobi had the sense of training a successor even if he felt unworthy to continue as a Jedi Knight. Let me tell you something Rey. My Master tried to kill me. Her Master tried to kill me. His apprentices tried to kill me. Even the bloody acolytes- fellow initiates in the Sith academy- tried to kill me. Even _Force Ghosts_ tried to kill me. If I was anything like Skywalker, I should have gone into exile a long time ago when my Master want to kill me and take over my body!" Xanthe roars out.

She looks at Rey with hardened eyes and calmly continues. "Let me tell you something. The Republic was founded millenia ago. The Sith Empire came out of Korriban, or as you now know it as Morriband. They fought, and eventually the Empire was defeated.

A lot of infighting did not help things… The Sith were almost wiped out. Centuries later, the recovered Republic and Jedi Order fought again with a revived Sith Empire, which somewhat ended the same way, thanks to two Jedi. One, by the name of Revan, stopped the Sith conquest and then left to the unknown regions and the second, a broken Jedi named Meetra Surik that was forcibly exiled, destroyed what was left of a new Sith group- the Sith Triumvirate. And once again, the Republic and Jedi were restored. As far as you know, the Sith Empire is no more. The Sith are extinct, ending with the death of Darth Vader. The Republic was reinstated and is now under threat by the First Order. The Jedi are gone save one broken Jedi. Seems like the Force is trying to find a balance don't you think?"

"I… perhaps?"

"Of course the Sith are not completely gone. We have been in hiding… Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the Empire I grew up in. As I said, the Force needs balance. I feel you could improve the Jedi with certain reviews to the Jedi code. The Jedi never learned to adapt… making the same mistake as the Sith, too arrogant and set in their ways, which in turn, paved the way for Sidious to crush them all in one single swoop. That is what I hoped to achieve and avoid with the Sith remnants I helped preserve.

To me, history is repeating itself. When the Republic and Jedi were all but extinct, a broken Jedi, who was exiled, was responsible for reviving the Jedi Order and preserving the Republic. She, like Skywalker, was reluctant to be involved again. She was betrayed by her own fellow Jedi and Masters and yet, she eventually retook her role as a Jedi and later died to save the Jedi and the Republic. If you wish to know more, you may come inside. It is nightfall and I'm hungry." Xanthe said standing up, dusting her robes and gesturing Rey inside her ship.

Xanthe starts walking to the door of her ship, but stops when she notices there's no sound behind her. She looks back to see Rey just standing there. Xanthe sighs and rolls her eyes. "Despite the stories you may have heard about the Sith, I am human and I do need to eat. Now, are you coming in or not? HK can escort you if you wish."

"Exclamation: What?! But Master-" The look that Xanthe shot back was enough to stop HK from continuing his protest. "Resignation: Very well Master. Follow me… Meatbag." HK says and walks inside. After a moment, whatever internal battle Rey had was resolved as she followed HK inside. Xanthe sadly watched Rey's form walking down the corridor sighing to herself before making her way inside also. As she was about to close the door to the ship, she sensed a presence… faint, but still a presence. ' _It worked.'_ Xanthe thought to herself as she closed the door.

As Xanthe made her way through the ship, she was greeted with the sight of Rey tinkering with HK's casing. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously. "A minute ago you both wanted to kill each other? Now you're…. Besties?"

"Reluctant answer: I had a ...minor misalignment, which this meatba- I mean _Rey_ noticed and offered to readjust. I assume it was from a lucky shot in the cave Master. Appraisement: Surprisingly, she is actually competent in engineering. Perhaps more so than Master Beni- I mean… the former Minister of Intelligence." HK turns around excitedly "May we keep her Master?"

Despite HK's slight slip up, Xanthe couldn't help but break a bemused smile at the change of tone. ' _All because of one tune up'_ She thought to herself. Rey noticed the slight change in HK and Xanthe when he was in mid sentence of what she assumed was a name, but chose not to comment, although she mentally filed it away for future reference.

"Well when you've finished tinkering, help yourself to whatever is in the storage lots. There isn't much of a selection I admit. Mostly porg, fish and wild vegetation." Xanthe states, gesturing to the corner of the mess hall. She settles down and starts eating silently, waiting for the questions that Rey will inevitably ask. Eventually, she hears HK walk away and footsteps and clothes rusling across from her. She looks up and sees Rey looking back with a guarded look. She sighs. "I know that look. I've had it on my own face many times. If I wanted to harm or kill either of you, I would have done so. Or perhaps it's the rumour of the reputation of the 'Big Bad Sith' that has you all riled up, or it's simply that you feel betrayed by someone you trusted." Xanthe says as more of a statement rather than a question, looking back down resuming her meal.

"Whatever gave you that idea." Rey answered sarcastically. "I don't understand why you needed to hide all of this and lie to us. We wouldn't have told anyone- There isn't even anyone here!"

"Fear." Xanthe said simply, not bothering to look back up.

"What?" Rey asked confused. "Fear." Xanthe repeated.

"I don't understand. Fear of what?" Rey pressed. Xanthe looked back up with a barely noticeable smirk. "Fear of me." When she saw Rey about to protest, she elaborated, "Fear of me, or rather, the fear of what I represent. Fear of Sith, fear of the Dark Side. Although curiously enough, you don't seem to fear the Dark Side, just the individuals wielding it. Would you or Skywalker have been as accommodating or as open if I just came up to you and said, "Hey there! I'm a crash landed Sith Lord, member of the Dark Council of an Empire thought to be extinct, who's been alive for over a thousand years. Pleased to meet you!" Xanthe shouts out sarcastically, giving Rey a pointed look, who in return has a less than amused look on her face. Xanthe folds her arms, "Yes, I didn't think so." she concludes.

A beeping sound interrupted the two Force users, "What's that?" Rey asks. Xanthe doesn't reply, but goes straight to the cockpit, smiling faintly when she sees who is hailing her. She turns to see Rey at the entrance to the cockpit. "Well? Why are you standing there for? Sit down. The chair won't kill you." Xanthe pats the co-pilot's chair, gesturing Rey to take a seat.

"I have someone I'd like you to meet Rey, although I am certain you'll have even more questions for me after this holo call." Xanthe accepts the call, revealing a holographic image of- "Ah Lord Scourge, impatient are we? I find it hard to believe you would already be at Yavin 4?"

"No my Lord, I am currently en-route. I wanted to inform you that ships from the First Order are breaching Wild Space and also, intelligence has noticed fleet formations. It seems they are planning an actual fleet assault on the Core Worlds. Rumour has it that Snoke himself will be overseeing the invasion." Scourge states.  
"So he has become overconfident after all…. Here I was thinking he might have had some wisdom after all this time. Most disappointing. Oh, meet Rey, a potential Jedi apprentice and hopefully the one responsible for reviving the Jedi Order."

"So you are the one Darth Imperius has been keeping an interest in… Pleasure to meet you young Jedi. I hope to meet face to face, although I take it by the look on your face that the feeling is not mutual." Scourge pauses, recognition showing in his eyes. "Your presence… Your… defiance… They remind me of a Jedi from long ago. Meetra... " He shook his head. "My Lord, if she is anything like the Exile, there may be no point in going after Snoke, she could probably finish him herself."

Xanthe laughs, giving Scourge an amused look. "If she had the training Surik had, or any proper Jedi training, then perhaps. At this point, she is less of a threat than a Padawan. Plus, I would love to have the satisfaction of seeing the look of pure shock and fear on Snoke's face when he sees a Dark Lord of the Sith in front of him. Speaking of which," Xanthe comments with a sigh "Any First Order ships that breach our space- eliminate. Leave no survivors or witnesses. Also, change of plans Lord Scourge- move ships to Korriban. We may need more ships in case the system is guarded by the First Order. We need to secure Korriban. It belongs to us, not Snoke. I will meet you there in a few days. Oh and Scourge?"

"Yes my Lord?"  
"Has the hyperspace tracking been completed? We may need it very soon. The First Order may already have it."  
"Do not fear my Lord. That is how we have been monitoring the First Order. I assure you, the technology works."

"Very good Scourge. Call more ships and secure Korriban. I will meet you there. May the Force serve you well." Scourge bows in response "It will be done. May the Force serve you well also my Lord." The transmission ends with the hologram of Scourge flickering out.

Xanthe leans back into the chair waiting for the inevitable reaction- "I resent that." Rey grumbles. She looks at Rey amusedly. "Well yes, I admit you are strong in the Force and strong willed, but your training is… almost non-existent. You're basically training yourself through guesswork and luck."

"Luck? I beat Kylo Ren on Starkiller base-"

"-And you got knocked out cold in the cave back there. Kylo Ren is but a child as far as training is concerned. He knows of the Force and he knows a few tricks, but his fighting form is very sloppy. He has power, but not properly trained. If he was, he would have killed you. You also have power, but unlike him, you are more disciplined. That is why you survived. That is why you beat him on Starkiller base, but not here. But enough of that. I invited you here as you had questions. Ask away." Xanthe stated casually.

"Who was he? I've never seen his species before?" Rey asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes, well, he is Lord Scourge, formerly known as the Emperor's Wrath and is a Sith Pureblood. A native of Korriban or Morriband- whatever name you are familiar with. They were thought to be extinct, but as I said, the Sith Empire has been in hiding for a long time. New worlds in the Unknown Regions and then later in Wild Space were settled, as it was clear that Korriban would be out of bounds for quite some time."

"What will you do when the First Order is defeated? What will happen to the Resistance and to the Jedi?" Rey asked.

"Nothing. As I told you before, my purpose in being involved is to make sure the Republic and Jedi survive and to be rebuilt. The Force needs balance. It can't do that with only one side in existence. Snoke has disrupted the balance by sabotaging Skywalker's attempt to create a Jedi Academy. My only goal now is to neutralise the First Order. Nothing more."

Rey seems to accept that answer and asks something she was curious about from what Xanthe said earlier, "What did you mean when you said "a thousand year old Sith Lord?" How old _are_ you?"

Xanthe looks back with a bored expression "Exactly what I said. I'm over a thousand years old. How do you think the Sith Empire could survive? The Sith were thought to be extinct for nearly a millennium. I look good for my age don't I?" Xanthe asks with a grin. Rey shakes her head. "Impossible. The Force can't extend your life that long can it?"

"Well yes and no… As far as Force tricks go, you're more like transferring your essence from body to body through the Force- like my former Emperor- and as such, you're capable of living for quite a long time or devouring someone else's life force to sustain your own, but this is not my case. Mine was due to... Dabbling in things I wasn't ready for and frantically finding something to fix me. Which I found and later on, stumbled across technology that… Improved me. Side effect was I have a unusually long lifespan and I have no idea when I'll actually age properly. Scourge's lifespan is not natural either, but his longevity is due to Sith sorcery as a gift from our former Emperor, Vitiate. As a side effect, he is in constant pain and his emotions are somewhat impaired."

Rey nods. " I see. What happened to you? What things did you dabble in that caused all this?"

Xanthe shakes her head, "Another story for another time Rey. Maybe when all of this is sorted with Snoke, then I can tell you about my adventures in more detail- and no, don't bother asking HK, as he wasn't around when all this occurred." Seeing Rey's expression looking like a deer caught in headlights, she continued "I don't need to use the Force to know that's what you were thinking." Xanthe stated, seeing Rey's expression turn into a guilty one in being caught out. "Just so you know, I will be leaving in two days for Korriban. If you wish to come with me, you can. I personally recommend you stay with Skywalker and if he still refuses to teach you anything, then read the Jedi lore inside the Temple and teach yourself. He is the last link of the Jedi and if he and the lore are gone, then so is the Order."

"I want to stop Snoke. I don't think I can do that here." Rey admitted. "Will the Dark Side be enough to stop Snoke?"

Xanthe shook her head, knowing exactly what Rey was getting at. "Despite what you may have heard, the Light or the Dark Side alone is not enough to stop anyone. You. Need. Training." Xanthe tells her, pointing her finger and emphasizing each word. "Don't follow me thinking I will allow you the opportunity and teach you the skills to kill Snoke. You need to succeed the Jedi Order. If you don't care for the Jedi, then I will not stop you from coming with me, but do not follow me only because of Snoke. Understand?"

"Yes I understand." Rey replies. "I…don't like it, but I understand. I will go back and see if Master Skywalker has changed his mind. I don't want the Jedi Order to vanish. They're the only hope the galaxy has."

Xanthe nods, a faint smile on her face "Good. That's what I was hoping you would say. Take care of yourself Rey and I hope our paths cross again in the future." Rey looked at her alarmed. " You're not coming back? Even after Snoke?"

"I… might. It may be a while as I need to secure Korriban and see what Scourge has done with the Empire. I very much doubt you would still be here by that time. Oh- Here is my holocom frequency should you need it." Xanthe said as an afterthought, handing over the holocom datapad. "I… Thank you." Rey replied. "Good bye Xanthe… For now." Rey adds with a small smile. Xanthe smiles in turn, realising that Rey is slowly warming to her again. "Yes, for now. What was it the Jedi say? Oh yes. May the Force be with you." Rey nods in reply and walks out, heading back to her cabin.


	4. Chapter 4

Rey sits in her room cleaning her blaster, when she feels a presence. When she looks up, to her horror she sees Kylo Ren, but without his mask. He seems just as surprised to see her as she is to see him and before anything else could happen, she fires her blaster at him, only to find she's made a hole in the wall. Later when Luke enquires what had happened, she lies, saying her blaster went off while cleaning it. She keeps this new development to herself, planning to ask Xanthe about it later.

* * *

"Anticipation: I can't wait to leave this place Master! But I must admit I am disappointed that Rey can't join us."

"She has a more important job at the moment HK. I am sure we will meet again. I must admit, a part of me is eager to meet with Scourge. It'd be nice to see a familiar face, and see how much the Empire has grown in my absence." Xanthe admits with a small grin. She pauses, feeling a slight disturbance. "Hmm… strange." She says more to herself than to HK. "I feel...a presence, but very faint, but also not threatening…Feels like Kylo Ren… but..." she cocks her head to the side and furrows her brows, slightly puzzled "...Snoke?" and just as quickly, the feeling vanished. Xanthe frowned. "Strange...Most strange indeed."

Rey was NOT happy. After randomly seeing Kylo Ren again and again and then Luke's less than composed reaction to discovering this development, she gave up putting it off and went to see Xanthe.

"He could be turned back… We were working as a team, not as enemies. It has to be true..." Rey mutters to herself amongst other things as she was trudging along. " It would've helped if he put a bloody top on." she grumbles as an afterthought. A voice suddenly sounded behind her, "If who put a top on?" Rey jumps startled, and turns around seeing none other than Xanthe with a very innocent expression on her face… ' _Too innocent'_ Rey thinks as she notices her fighting back a grin. "You know, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that. I could've attacked you with a lightsaber or something." Rey says irritably. "Ha! I'd like to see you try." Xanthe replies. "So what brings you here anyway Rey?"

Rey looks at her in confusion and then looks around and realises she's already at Xanthe's ship. ' _How did I not notice...? I was more in thought than I realised.'_ she thought to herself. "I was looking for you actually. I think we may have a little problem."

"Oh?"

"I've been seeing Kylo Ren, like really seeing him. I could even feel him. I even tried shooting him, only to end up making a hole in the wall. Eventually Master Skywalker saw the two of us and he didn't react well. I touched his hand and I saw the future! I saw that he joins us. He and I were fighting together, so there must be hope for Ben Solo!" Rey says excitedly.

"That is… an interesting… development." Xanthe says slowly, deep in thought. "Firstly, force visions, especially of the future are not always accurate nor are they always how they appear to be. Just because you saw him fighting with you, doesn't necessarily mean he turned back to the light. It could be that YOU agreed to join him, or that Snoke tries to kill him, so you both team up temporarily. It could mean anything… or yes, it can be simply what you saw. All I'm saying is don't take Force visions as something set in stone. Anything can change the outcome. On a more important note, these "visits" you get from Kylo Ren, seem to be of a Force bond nature. Usually you need to have a strong affinity or connection to another, such as master and acolyte or in your case, padawan or apprentice, or family members or other loved ones. Usually Force bonds don't happen between strangers… the only way it can happen in these conditions, is if it was _forced_ or manipulated.

It has been done in the past. It was accidently forged by the Jedi padawan Bastila Shan, when saving Darth Revan's life and was purposely created by Kreia, who was once a Jedi Master turned Sith Lord and forcibly bonded herself to Meetra Surik, known in most Jedi texts as the Jedi Exile. I feel that this Force bond is not natural. You must be careful Rey." Xanthe warns.

"I will. That's why I came to see you. I have decided to go and confront Kylo Ren. We must be bonded for a reason. Maybe I can find the light in him and bring him back." Rey says confidently. Xanthe rubs her head, feeling a headache coming on. "That is not what I meant. You should be keeping away, not entertaining the idea."

"But I have to do something! The Resistance needs help and Luke Skywalker isn't doing anything! He doesn't want to get involved!" Rey shouts out in frustration.

Xanthe sighs. "I understand your frustration, especially in regards to Skywalker. However I do believe you should stay and learn…" Xanthe trails off as she sees flashes of… ' _Memories? No… Events? Visions? Is this… the future?'_ She sees Kylo Ren, she sees the Force Tree, Snoke, General Organa, Skywalker, The First Order, The Resistance, Lord Scourge, the ancient Jedi texts, Sith holocrons, Rey helping the Resistance, Rey helping Kylo Ren, Rey looking at holocrons and texts and- ' _Lana?'_ The blonde figure just smiles as if she heard her and vanishes. Xanthe snaps back into reality and refocuses on Rey. "Xanthe? Are you alright? You seemed a million miles away and you also look very pale." Rey asks, looking very concerned. "I… No… Yes… I don't know. I saw… things. I think I understand what you meant in regards to Kylo Ren."

Xanthe remembers the Force Tree and Rey. She smiles. " You know what? You are right. Luke isn't going to do anything, so it's up to you what you want to do. If you still want to follow Kylo Ren and try to redeem him, I will not stop you. You are right, the Resistance needs help. You are the only other person besides Luke that can do something.

I still believe you need to learn the ways of the Force and of the Jedi, but if he won't show you, there are other ways to find what you need."

"How? There are no other Jedi to learn from?"

"Who says you need a teacher?" Xanthe replies with a grin. Not every Sith or Jedi had a teacher, they learned through other means… like observing, or reading, or following their instincts. Trust your instincts Rey and trust the Force. The Force will guide you with what you must do next. If you are still unsure- Meditate. Meditation is a technique used by both the Jedi and Sith to centre themselves. Meditate and the Force will tell you what to do next."

"I don't know how… Can you show me?" Rey asks. Xanthe nods. "Very well. Sit down like so… Close your eyes and slow your breathing. That's it. In…. and out. Clear your thoughts. Relax… Just… feel…

" _You were never one for meditation were you?"_

" _No, not really… I'm too…" Xanthe waves her hands around, unable to find the words._

" _Fidgety? Impatient? Stressed?"_

" _I...Yes… All the above I suppose."_

" _Well then, I believe you have a greater need to meditate that I do."_

" _I… don't know how" Xanthe admits in shame. "I am too busy watching my back for who wants to try and kill me next. I don't know anything else. My Master only wanted to use me as her vessel. I was only trained in enough things to keep me alive long enough for her objectives to be completed." Xanthe mutters sadly. She then looks up pleadingly "Can you...Can you show me?"_

" _Of course. It would be my pleasure."_

Xanthe continues breathing with a small sad smile. ' _It's been so long since…'_

"That's it Rey, keep breathing in and out. Let the images- if any- come to you. If there are none, don't worry. Just feel… Feel the Force around you." Xanthe says softly, not wanting to break Rey's concentration. They continued like this for the next ten minutes, not noticing HK silently observing them. Eventually Xanthe opens her eyes, observing Rey. "So… How do you feel now?"

"I… I think I'll need to do this more often. I saw things… felt things. I think...everything seems clearer now. I think I know what I have to do." Rey says as she opens her eyes. She stands up, brushing off the dust and dirt from her clothes. "I don't see the point in talking to Skywalker. I'll do what I need to do and then I'll leave to find Kylo Ren and help the Resistance."

"Very well. The Force has shown me that we will meet again. I still believe your meeting with Kylo Ren will not be as you expect it to be, but you will survive the encounter and you will be there with the Resistance. I also saw you as a Jedi. It appears you will be able to do just fine without a teacher." Xanthe says with a smile. "Good luck, and may we meet again."

"Thank you Xanthe. May the Force be with you." Rey replies, walking back to the Jedi Temple and the Force Tree.

"Oh by the way, from what I saw, I believe a double bladed saber would suit you." Rey turns back questioningly. Xanthe puts her hands up in defense "I'm just saying." Rey gives a small smile and replies "I'll keep it in mind. Thank you."

"You're welcome. May the Force serve you well Rey."


	5. Chapter 5

"Inquiry: Master, _now_ are we leaving?"

"Patience HK. I need to prepare and pack." Xanthe looks over at HK-55 eying the droid up and down and adds, "Something that it seems droids don't have to worry about."

"Assumption: Is this an indirect order to assist you Master?"

"You may if you wish. Your assumption is neither correct or incorrect. But I would rather have no more interruptions if we wish to leave this planet sooner rather than later." Xanthe states, resuming her packing, pausing as she hears the sound of the engine of a ship take off. _'Finally. Hopefully she doesn't kill Snoke before I do…'_ Xanthe thinks to herself.

As per the Sith Lord's order, HK-55 stands by silently, surveying their surroundings until it notices something in the distance. As HK notices the packing and preparations coming to an end, it decides now should be a good time to state its findings. "Observation: Master, I think you should see this. It seems like something has caught fire."

"What?" Xanthe asks, quickly walking over to HK and looks outside. "What in blazes? Is that the Force Tree on fire? What is Skywalker thinking? I swear he's gone insane!" Xanthe angrily all but shouts.

"Master, my sensors indicate that the tree was struck by lightning, not by the Jedi, although it seemed he did intend on burning the structure down. He is also not alone. As the Millenium Falcon was heard leaving earlier and judging by the size, I can confidently assume, the Jedi's companion is not Rey." HK states.

"There is no one else… Who could it possibly…" Xanthe trails off as she checks her macrobinoculars, "...Yoda." Xanthe shakes her head. " I don't believe it, it's Master Yoda. He better had a bloody good explanation for destroying those texts…"

"Explanation I have, Darth Imperius."

"Warning: Halt, small ghost looking meatbag!"

Xanthe rolls her eyes. "You can't shoot a ghost HK, no matter how much you try." She turns around fully, coming face to face with the former Grandmaster of the Jedi Council, Master Yoda. "A pleasure to see you again Master Jedi. " Xanthe greets with a smile.

"Good to see you too it is, my young Sith, Lord Xanthe Kallig."

"I am over three and a half thousand years old and you are calling me "young Sith"?

"Young you look, young you shall be."

Xanthe laughed. "Your humour has improved over the years. But how about your sanity? You just destroyed the one thing that could teach Rey what she needs to know in order to continue the Jedi Order." Xanthe questioned.

"Nothing left in the tree there was. Took what she needed the girl did. As much I said to young Skywalker." Yoda replies. Xanthe blew a sigh in relief. "So she did take them then?"

Yoda nods in confirmation. "Good. So now I can get ready to meet the others. I guess there is nothing left here, since Skywalker refuses to get involved." Xanthe states.

"Confused Skywalker is. Help, I believe he will. His time is near however." Yoda replies.

"In that case, Rey will truly be the last of the Jedi… Or perhaps, the first of the new?"

"First of the new I believe she will be. Necessary your guidance will be for young Rey-"

"No way on Zakuul will I be involved in that girl's training! I know only theories about the Jedi teachings. The best I can do is find a holocron for her to learn from." Xanthe protests.

"Guidance between light and dark she needs. Provide that you can." Yoda calmly states. Unfortunately, Xanthe can't actually argue that point. "Fine." Xanthe grumbles, "That I can help with. Right now however, I need to clean up the mess that the late New Republic allowed to exist called the First Order. No offense, but they are more hopeless than the Republic I remember."

"Offense not taken. Agree I do." Master Yoda replies. " Before you leave, message I have for you."

"Oh?"

"Always helps, meditation does and "fear does not become you", I believe it was."

Xanthe pales "You've spoken to her?"

"Yes, numerous times. Interesting Sith, that one is. Frustrated with you she is. Wanting to speak with you, but allowing her you are not."

" What? How? Of course I want to speak with her. I've always wanted to see her, but I never heard or saw anything so I assumed…. She had become one with the Force." Xanthe says sadly.

Yoda clears his throat. "It seems correct she was in her assumption, so second message I have for you. "Quote I do: "Stop being so stubborn and why do you let your fear stop you from reaching your potential again? If you wanted to see me, why do you avoid everything concerning me, even avoiding my saying my _name_ out loud? How do you expect to see me when you try to deny my very existence?" End quote I do."

Yoda continues, "Very unhappy she is. Heard your exploits I have. Destroyed tratorious Sith, killed a reincarnated Sith Emperor, Commander and Empress of a Galactic Alliance and many other things. Happy we are that you are meeting the Sith, unhappy we are that you cannot find purpose, only duty. Die on the battlefield she prefers, rather than in your room on your ship."

Xanthe stays quiet for a while and simply states "...Duly noted Master Yoda."

"Agree with her I do. Sympathise with your pain I do. Happiness she wants for you. Loyal you are to her. Finding a companion, necessary it is not. Finding a purpose and living is what she asks. Companionship… against it she will not be should you find it."

Xanthe looks sadly at Yoda "I really do miss her. I tried but I can't stop the pain. That was the only way I could think of. I didn't realise the consequences of that. Thank you for your advice and her messages. I will try to do what she- what you both -ask. I appreciate it, my 'Little Green Jedi Menace' friend." Xanthe says with gratitude in her eyes, as well as a small smirk.

"Remember that you do?" Yoda chuckles. "Owe you I do for providing Dagobah to me. Believed you to be dead by the time of the Clone Wars I did."

"You were a lot more agile back then, and very dedicated to the Jedi code. I could never get a clean hit on you. Only sometimes getting you with lightning… just enough to slip away. I knew that if I explained who I truly was, you would want to kill me even more. You were more annoying than bounty hunters at one point. Trust me, I was relieved when you thought I was gone. Took quite a bit to conceal my identity while serving Palpatine in the Royal Imperial Guard, with him and yourself in the same room with me." Xanthe says with a fond smile.

Yoda turns, as if hearing something, "Sorry young Sith, go I must. Remember yourself and trust in the Force. May the Force be with you Lord Kallig."

Xanthe bows in response "And with you Master Yoda." She lifts her head, noticing Yoda had already vanished.

With a familiar feeling she hadn't felt since the days of her time on Odessen, she smiles. Turning to HK, she says "Alright HK, I think it's time we left this blasted island."

"Excitement: Finally Master! Will we get to blast some meatbags?"

"In due time, after we meet Scourge, but yes… we most certainly will." Xanthe responds with a grin.

"Plot course for Yavin 4."

* * *

 **A/N: This story is also up on AO3 if you prefer a better reading experience, as it actually lets you structure the text the way you actually want :)**


	6. Chapter 6

"What is going on- Oh Sithspit!" Xanthe cried out, abruptly turning the ship, narrowly missing a fighter blast. "I thought I told you to send Scourge a message to expect us!" She cries out, while rapidly trying to avoid more shots. "Statement: I sent a message of our arrival to the coordinates stated, as per your orders. You did not say to send specifically to the red meatbag."

"Why you… unbelievable- Shavit!" Xanthe hisses out, narrowly avoiding a head on collision with one of the assumed Sith fighters. "Be of some use and take over the controls while I try to contact Scourge before we become space dust." Xanthe growls out before rushing into the communications room, activating the holoprojector. To say Xanthe is in a grumpy mood is an understatement. With all that was revealed and experienced, she needed a bit of time to mentally recover. ' _All I wanted was a good night rest for a change. But no… I almost get blasted out of space for it. Damn droid…'_

"Scourge, come in! Do you copy?"

After a bit of static, a figure appears on the projector. "My Lord? I thought you were to meet us at Yavin?"

"Yes, I am already here! This blasted droid didn't send the message to the right ship and now we're being attacked by a squadron of fighters and one of the ships from your fleet! Tell them to seize fire!"

Scourge frowned " No one should have engaged regardless. What ship-"

"It's the same one it has always been! _Fury_ -class! Tell everyone to seize fire NOW!" Xanthe cuts in, shouting and slamming the holoprojector effectively cutting communication with the Sith pureblood. By the time she reaches the bridge, she notices that the fighters have retreated and sees the Sith ship moving away. ' _For all their lack in coordination, at least they respond to orders immediately.'_ Xanthe observes. "Find Lord Scourge's vessel and dock there. If I'm not mistaken, the communications log says it should be ' _The_ _Marauder'_. Confirm that it is and board. Notify me when we have docked." Without bothering to wait for any acknowledgement or reply, she quickly turns and heads for her quarters.

This _Fury-_ class vessel- more famously known as _The Rage'_ , for one who has seen it from the moment it was given to Lord Zash's apprentice and sees it now, would have thought it was frozen in time. Although if one looked close enough, they would notice there have been some necessary upgrades- courtesy of HK-55. This was one of the few places where Xanthe- Lord Kallig felt solace and comfort. The dark red lighting of the common area and the red, black and purple colours of the walls and furniture remind her of what she once was, where she came from, what she was once a part of.

At the request of Xalek and Darth Marr- who was she kidding? More like at the request of Lana Beniko who noticed the 'bareness' of the ship and suggested she hang something, as a condition of travelling on ' _The Rage'_ , she also put up a couple of banners of the Sith Empire, to which she got a nod of approval from all three insufferable Sith. One of which, she was looking at right now, wondering if they still use these banners in the 'Remnant' Sith Empire.

Turning back to her closet, she sighs. Finding outfits to wear was never easy for her. The former Dark Advisor usually assisted in those matters. "Shall I go as Imperius the Sorcerer, or Imperius the Assassin? Decisions, decisions…" Xanthe sarcastically mutters to herself. In her closet, there are a couple of ceremonial robes, a few more tight fitted ones for her time as Zash's apprentice, stealthily assassinating her master's enemies, a few Zakuulan style robes during her time as the Outlander- something she doesn't want to remember much of, and then her eyes notice something. An outfit at the end, a dark purple-almost black robe, with lighter purple and red trimmings inside, and if one looked closely at it, it had customised designs and decorations, mostly of Sith symbols, a request made by the one who purchased it. A lot of effort went into the creation of this robe ' _and definitely not cheap.'_ Xanthe reminds herself.

Putting that one aside, for a more appropriate time, her eyes settle on another outfit. Similar to the one she wore when engaging the Knights of Ren, but slightly more flowing and elegant. "I have to make a Sith-worthy impression I suppose." she thinks out loud as she takes out the outfit. The robe itself is black, with a few grey and purple markings, but underneath is a set of light armour, fully geared with a utility belt, bracers, armoured shin protectors and protective gear draped along the upper body, along with a personal shield generator-which to her delight- still functions, in the form of a red glow emanating from gaps in the protective gear for her upper torso.

Last but not least, the mask of Aloysius Kallig. As she puts on the mask, she can feel the power of the dark side surrounding her, encompassing her, strengthening her. She decides now is probably a good time to try to centre herself, so she settles into a meditation position and allows herself to bask in the power of the dark side.

"Announcement: Master, we have docked with the red meatbag's ship. They are requesting to come on board. Shall I blast them?"

Xanthe blinks, surprised that more time has passed than she realised, but then smiles to herself when she remembers what possible futures the Force showed her. She looks into the mirror, seeing the mask of Kallig staring back at her. She smirks and replies " No HK. I will go to them. Time for me to intimidate a few Sith."

"Question: What if they become hostile Master? Then can I eliminate them?"

"Well if they become hostile, then they will face the wrath of Kallig and learn first hand how I become Darth Imperius, member of the Dark Council and ruling the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge. If any survive, you may finish them off."

"Gleeful response: With pleasure Master!"

"Alright, let us go and meet with our "wonderful hosts" and see what Sith these are." Xanthe says as her and HK walk to the airlock.

As they open the door, they are greeting by two robed and masked individuals that Xanthe assumes are Sith, as well as six troopers, all armed and ready to attack. Xanthe cocks her head to the side in amusement. Ignoring the threat, she asks "Where is Lord Scourge? I am most displeased with the lack of hospitality the Empire now has to a fellow Lord of the Sith."

One of the masked Sith scoffs in reply. "No Sith has flown in those outdated ships. Your signal is not even recognised by the Empire. Anyone can play dress-up and say they're Sith. Now stand aside and let us board your ship and prepare to surrender."

Xanthe tries her very best not to laugh, amused that this assumed young Sith has no idea who he's talking to. Contemplating her next course of action, she sees Scourge in the distance, quickly coming to greet them. With that, she decides to toy with this young Sith ' _After all'_ she thinks to herself, ' _They need to learn their place with a Dark Lord in their midst… and remind them why I am a Darth.'_ Turning back to the young Sith that scoffed at her, she replies "You have no idea to whom you speak. Do you?" both young Sith and even the troopers felt a chill in the air as she uttered those words, the dark side presence becoming more apparent.

One of the masked Sith ' _the smarter one'_ Xanthe observes, quickly turns to his fellow Sith "Maybe we should listen to this one. After all, Lord Scourge allowed for them to board. Perhaps it is another Sith. Surely you felt the dark side grow stronger just now?" he warns. The other Sith shakes his head in response. "No, if anything it's probably Lord Scourge's presence you sense. Don't let this outsider intimidate you." Turning to Kallig, he raises his arm turning on his lightsaber, revealing an intense crimson coloured blade. "Stand aside, or you will be struck down." he threatens.

Kallig doesn't respond. In fact, she doesn't move at all. All of a sudden, the young Sith drops his lightsaber and starts clutching at his throat, while the blasters are pried out of all of the troopers' hands through the Force. The other Sith looks around frantically, afraid he may also be attacked and asks "Who are you?"

"She is Darth Imperius of House Kallig, former member of the Dark Council of the Imperial Sith Empire and formerly headed the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge- roles I hope she reclaims soon." Lord Scourge answers, walking up to the young Sith and looking at the display with amusement and interest. Taking that as her cue, and sensing the suffocating young Sith's realisation of his mistake, she ends his misery by crushing his windpipe with the Force. She observes his body crumple to the floor and satisfied that there is no more misunderstanding, she turns to acknowledge her host.

"It has been a while Lord Scourge."


	7. Chapter 7

"It has been a while Lord Scourge."

"Indeed it has my Lord."

"...Punctual as always." Xanthe adds sarcastically, dusting her robes. Scourge looked almost apologetic and fidgets slightly as he explains, "I was detained by the Head of the Sphere of Military Offense who was questioning my orders to cease fire," he pauses and briefly looks at the dead Sith on the floor "...and who also happened to be the master of the promising young Sith you just executed."

"Oops." Xanthe says with a shrug. "Ah, what a coincidence. Like master, like apprentice it seems. Perhaps it is time this Sith Lord gets… "reassigned". I would very much like to meet this individual."

"You should not underestimate him Darth Imperius. He loves the battlefield. He thrives on destruction." Scourge warns. Xanthe turns to him "And he should learn his place, when dealing with another Dark Councillor. Especially one who is responsible for the survival of our Empire." she snaps back.

"That I do agree with. He has become quite arrogant I admit. But many Sith have been like that over the centuries. Even your master, Darth Zash and ...my replacement Wrath's master- Darth Baras were much like this one. Not all were honorable like yourself and Darth Marr." Scourge reminds her. "You… are correct. I apologise. It has been a long time." Xanthe admits.

He looks around remembering why she came in the first place. " I have arranged your quarters. Follow me." He then turns to the surviving young Sith "You will accompany us also."

"Of course Lord Scourge." he replies, bowing.

"Let's go HK."

"Statement: With pleasure Master."

As they were walking through the corridors, Xanthe observed everything. She noticed the ship layout was similar to those of her Empire… the Empire under Emperor Vitiate. The Imperial troops and officers, their uniforms were almost the same, slightly modified and advanced. She pauses as she sees the Imperial banner and smiles. The insignia had not changed at all, providing her some small comfort in reminding her that this is still the continuation of the Empire she once served and not a remade Empire like Darth Sidious' Republic turned-Galactic Empire.

"Here we are Darth Imperius. I will notify the other Lords and Darths of your arrival. I will return shortly. Until then please make yourself comfortable." Scourge finishes with a slight bow. Imperius responds with a slight inclination of her head, signalling Scourge to leave. She turns to the young Sith, who seems like he would rather be anywhere but there. "Perhaps you should follow him." She suggests. He immediately sees his way out and eagerly agrees hurrying to catch up with the former Emperor's Wrath.

She shakes her head in amusement and enters her assigned quarters. She so badly wants to take off that mask, she's always hated wearing anything on her face but she still has a role to play, plus there is no need to reveal her appearance just yet. After all, the room may be bugged even if she does trust Scourge. She takes a look around, the room is fairly simple, a couch, table, bed and a couple of chairs. Imperial banners decorate the room, and to her surprise, an insignia representing the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge was also put up. "HK. I am going to meditate. Do not disturb me unless necessary. Until then, monitor everything and sweep the room for bugs."

"Statement: Yes master."

A call on the holocommunicator pulled her from her meditation. 'Since teaching Rey how to meditate, it seems to have become easier for me to meditate as well.' Xanthe muses before answering the call. She looks at the figure in surprise "Scourge? What are you doing on the communicator?"

"I apologise my Lord. It seems the master of the apprentice you killed is out for blood. He doesn't seem to care or understand who you are. He is on his way now. Be warned, the other Lords and Darths are following, more out of curiosity to see who you are and what will happen between you two, rather than to deal with this ridiculous show."

"Are you telling me that no one on this Dark Council has any sense to stop him?"

"There was one who did voice her opinion on the matter and recommended they deal with the theatrics later and for now focus on what your presence means for the Empire."

"Good. Someone with reason. Who is this individual?"

"Her name is… Darth Marr."

Kallig blinks. "Darth…. Marr?"

"Yes." Scourge replies. "She is apparently a descendant of the former Darth Marr. Marr seems to be her family name as well, so to honour him, she decided to use his title. She even wears his mask. Alternatively, she did go by Marrvisas, but, most are accustomed to calling her Marr."

"I see." Kallig says nodding slowly. "Well being connected to Marr, I'm not surprised she is the only one with some intelligence. As for the fool coming to declare vengeance on me, what is his name?"

"His name is Darth Nathema."

"Nathema? As in the planet Vitiate destroyed- Nathema?"

"Yes. As head of the Sphere of Military Offense, he considers himself to be...the Destroyer of Worlds."

Kallig just scoffs and shakes her head in disbelief. "These Sith are getting more and more stupid. This is what was responsible for the downfall of our glorious Empire in the past. At least Darth Thanaton was trying to use tradition to justify killing me. This one is delusional. You better hurry over Lord Scourge. I wouldn't want you to miss his early…. Retirement."

"I am on my way my Lord, but remember- He thrives on death and destruction and bloodlust. He is more like Darth Vengean, but with less restraint."

Kallig smirks under her mask. "I performed the Force Walk. I hand bound three ghosts to me. I harboured and fought the Emperor in my mind. I have survived attempts on my life by Arcann, Vaylin, SCORPIO, Thanaton and Zash- twice. I know techniques that other Sith could only dream of. You should have more faith in my Scourge."

Scourge smirks. "Very well my Lord. You have been inactive for so long, I hope you know what you are doing. I would hate to have to replace the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge again."

"Low blow, Scourge, low blow. But I will overlook that this time. It is time to meet the fool "Nathema"." Kallig states, switching off the communicator. "Get ready HK, you may get to eliminate a few Sith today also."

"Excitement: My circuits are tingling with anticipation Master."

They exit their quarters only to see who she assumes to be Darth Nathema, with at least eleven other Sith following behind, who she assumed were the remaining Dark Councillors, as well as a small crowd of other Sith and troops trailing behind.

Kallig stands patiently with her hands behind her back in a relaxed stance. As Darth Nathema comes closer, she observes his appearance- Sith pureblood, his appearance corrupted by the dark side, scars and implants decorating his face and heavily armoured. 'Not very practical for dodging' she observes. Addressing all Sith present, Kallig states "Ah, so you are my fellow Councillors, running our beloved Empire in my absence. Surely you all know who I am now, yes?"

Darth Nathema stops and snorts in disgust. "I do not care who you are. Personally I do not believe you are who Scourge says you are. All I know is that you killed my apprentice and I demand blood. How dare you kill the apprentice of a Dark Councillor! Who do you think you are?"

Imperius just stares at him. " I am Sith." She deadpans. "This is the way of the Sith. He did not show the proper respect for a Darth. More specifically, that of a Dark Councillor and was not strong enough to withstand my power. As far as I am concerned, he was not worthy of being Sith."

The last comment got the reaction she was hoping for. She felt the rage before seeing it and had her lightsaber ready before he cried out in rage, sending Force Lightning her way. She easily caught it with her lightsaber, redirecting it elsewhere. Getting the target angry, would make them a more dangerous enemy, but anger, if not channelled properly, can also cloud one's judgement and make them more likely to make mistakes. Nathema pulls out his single bladed lightsaber, which hummed a brilliant crimson and charged at her. Physically he was stronger than her, if the blows he was trying to inflict was any indication. 'Pity. He would've made a good Sith Commander.' Imperius thought to herself while trying to dodge his attacks. She fires lightning at him at close range, surprising him and sends him flying into the wall with a Force push. "Are we done with the sparring now? Perhaps now we can deal with more pressing matters."

That caused Nathema to get up in record time, screaming out in rage " You will die Imperius! You don't know what Sith is. I will make you see and experience pain like none other. You will be begging for death!" and with that he charges at her, lightsaber held high and roaring a battlecry. Imperius isn't even going to bother trying to block that attack, so she does what she's best at. She vanishes.

Nathema sees only a door and all but smashes into it. In confusion he turns around as do the other Sith, trying to find the former Sith Assassin. Immediately, Nathema clutches his chest, falling to the ground. He turns to see Imperius with her hand raised outward. "You haven't experienced true pain young one." Imperius says in a low voice. "Let me show you." And summoning the Dark Side in a way that she hasn't done in a long time, it almost felt… refreshing, or perhaps even re energising?

She allowed her pain and hatred to flow through, remembering her hardships, her losses, her pain at the hands of Zash, the ghosts, Valkorion, Arcann, Vaylin, the loss of her crew, Theron and Lana. Her eyes immediately glowed a bright purple and lightning of pure dark energy poured out. She could sense him trying to repel it through the Force, but the intensity and aftershocks still enveloped him in pain. He was screaming in a way no one thought possible, even if he wasn't actually burning yet. Imperius eventually stops her assault and states, "Now Darth Nathema, I know what it is to meet death alone. Our former Emperor saw to that. I shall soon show you. "Destroyer of Worlds?" Heh. I was known as the "The Forcewalker- Binder of Ghosts." Prepare to be reunited with your apprentice."

Imperius doesn't move. No lightning emerges from her fingertips, but Nathema's eyes widen as he slowly rises and he starts to convulse and scream, eventually he becomes limp and silent and drops to the floor, his face fixed in a tortured expression. To the horror of most other Sith, save Imperius, Scourge and a few more experienced Dark Councillors, they realised his mind was destroyed, internal bleeding if the blood from his nose, ears and eyes were any indication and his heart was finally and literally crushed. All signs of the violent and rarely used dark ability- Force Crush.

Imperius takes a few moments to calm down and let the the effects and influence of the dark side subside- she has a pretty face to protect after all- and also to give the other Sith a few moments to come to terms with what just happened. HK breaks the silence "Statement: Was he the only threat Master, or am I expecting more resistance?"

Looking at the other Sith, she replies "I believe that was it HK. I think my fellow Sith understand now. So..." Now noticing Scourge, she clasps her hands behind her back "Let's get this meeting started shall we?"

Scourge looks at her amused, and doesn't even bother to hide his smirk. Darth Marr steps out, clearly looking like the leading councillor, 'Just like Marr' Imperius thinks to herself. "Yes, now that this matter has been...resolved, I think it would be best to get this meeting underway. Please follow us to the Council Chambers... Darth Imperius."

"With pleasure."

As she follows Marr and the other Lords to the council chambers, Scourge starts to speak. "It has been so long since I have see power like that. It reminds me of our glorious past before Vitiate abandoned us. I am...glad you have not done away with your identity and past. If anything… you seem less conflicted than the last time we properly spoke." he comments, regarding her curiously. "Yes...I guess I had an epiphany. Certain truths were revealed to me before I left Ahch-To." Imperius responds, not once looking at Scourge. He realises she will not elaborate on this and decides to drop the topic. "Nonetheless I am pleased you did not disappoint. Your mastery of the dark side is as what was rumoured centuries ago. I now understand why you caught Vitiate's attention. I have not seen that technique used in some time… and the Force Rage… I did not expect you to still have that level of mastery over it after so long. I admit, I am impressed."

"Compliments? From you? It seems I am not the only one getting soft Lord Scourge." Imperius replies.

Before Scourge could reply, Darth Marr turns and addresses them. "We are here. Only the member of the Dark Council, Lord Scourge and our guest, Darth Imperius are allowed to enter." She then turns to the crowd that followed them. "The rest of you spineless Sith and Imperials may leave." Turning to Imperius, she ushers them inside. " I apologise for this embarrassing and foolish display. This is most unbecoming of Sith." Sighing, she adds "I believe we have much to discuss."

"Yes, I believe we do and unfortunately I fear we are running out of time."


	8. Chapter 8

"Yes, I believe we do and unfortunately I fear we are running out of time."

Marr regards Imperius for a few moments before replying, "From what Lord Scourge has told me of you, I did not expect you to be the dramatic type." She ushers Imperius and Scourge to the centre of the room while she and the other council members take their places around them. Imperius observes the council chambers comparing them to the chambers she once served in, noticing the similarities and differences. Scourge notices, despite the mask hiding her features. "You must remember much time has passed. It is impossible for things to remain as they were entirely. Despite your altered view of the Force and the Sith Code, you are surprisingly still somewhat of a idealist and oddly enough- a traditionalist." He states in a hushed tone.

For the first time in years, Scourge feels a twinge of something that could be described as sympathy, he adds "I have been observing the Empire for centuries, while you have been… absent. I am even older than you, so I know what you are craving to have- to see that most familiar to you. However, in order to continue and get stronger, you must remember and accept that change is inevitable."

Kallig stands still for a few moments before acknowledging Scourge's advice with a nod.

"Now that the Council is assembled, we have many things to discuss. Before we continue, I will give you a brief introduction to the Dark Lords currently seated." Gesturing to each Sith Lord, she introduces them. "This is Darth Occulus, currently supervising the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge until it is seated by the appropriate Sith Lord. He is also head of the Sphere of Military Strategy. Darth Severin, head of the Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy. Darth Chrysis, head of the Sphere of Sith Philosophy. Darth Necron, head of the Sphere of Mysteries. Darth Archaeus, head of the Sphere of Laws and Justice. Darth Lycius, head of the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence. Darth Dracos head of the Sphere of Biotic Science. Darth Teraton of the Sphere of Technology. Darth Nicene, head of the Sphere of Production and Logistics and myself, Darth Marr, head of the Sphere of Military Defence, and currently covering the sphere of Military Offense, due to Nathema's… untimely demise."

Taking a breath, she asks Imperius "So is it true that you are the infamous Darth Imperius, the Force Walker from the time of the Sith Emperor Vitiate and my ancestor Darth Marr?"

"Yes, it is true. Lord Scourge and myself are all that is left of the Sith of that time."

"Lord Scourge also claims that the survival of the Empire is due to your intervention. If that is so and that you care so much for our glorious Empire, where were you for most of this time?"

Imperius hesitates momentarily before replying "I had much... galactic mess to clean up. I had to make sure Darth Bane's Rule of Two did not affect our Sith Order, I had to keep the Jedi Order and Republic distracted and away from our space. Then I was also delayed with Darth Sidious' attempt to wipe out the Jedi, which would have been disastrous had he been successful."

"I fail to see how another Sith- even one following Bane's Rule of Two- destroying our ancient enemy- the Jedi- is a problem?" Darth Severin asks.

"It is a problem because you and the Sith of old, fail to see the larger picture. You fail to see how the Force works. This way of thinking is what made the Empire- that was still exposed to the Core Worlds- collapse and vanish! It is because of this type of logic that Bane's philosophy came to be. It is also the same reason why the Jedi Order was almost wiped out twice! I have lived long enough to see that the Force works differently to what we all believed.

Our code is correct in unlocking power and strength through the Force, however the code does not explain the properties of the Force. Once you start to understand, you can unlock even more potential. From my experiences and observations, the Force requires balance."

Darth Chrysis leans forward in interest. "You believe the Force requires balance? Please elaborate Darth Imperius."

"The Force requires equilibrium. If all dark side users - Sith- vanish, that would tip the balance to the light side- the Jedi. In order to regain equilibrium, the Force will create dark side users and scenarios to tip the balance more towards the dark side. Unfortunately, that eventually leads to the Sith wiping out the Jedi Order and tipping the balance all the way to the dark side."

"Which will most likely lead to a creation of a strong light sided individual, or individuals who will try to destroy us, as the Force tries to regain a sense of equilibrium." Darth Chrysis concludes. "Your philosophy has merit in my opinion. I personally would enjoy to discuss this in more detail later."

"I am reluctant to accept that philosophy, however in my experience in dealing with artifacts and mysteries, I have found… questionable things in regards to the nature of the Force. I am also interested to hear more of this at a later time." Darth Necron states.

"So, from what I can deduce from this and what Lord Scourge has told me, you claim you were trying to protect the Empire and you thought the best way was by not actually leading the Empire and working from the shadows instead?" Marr asks.

"Yes." Imperius replies simply. Before Marr questions further, Imperius elaborates " I have always been better at working in the shadows than on a throne. I had a taste of leading an alliance- an empire- and I do not want to do so again. I knew I would be absent for a long time, that is why Lord Scourge was asked to oversee everything and to make sure the Empire and Sith Order continued to thrive. Unlike him, I had… distractions that would compromise my ability to lead the Sith and may be considered weak. I was reachable should there be any problems. Of course when Palpatine's empire collapsed, I heard they were retreating to the unknown regions, so I had to notify Scourge and manipulate events to lead the defeated empire away from our space and colonies. Then with Snoke's involvement, that had delayed me further as I had to make sure he was not aware of us. I had intended to return after the Rebel Alliance had re-established the Republic. I never abandoned the Empire. I did not go through all this effort with Lord Scourge and other allied Sith Lords to take a remnant of the Empire before it was destroyed by the Republic to Wild Space and laid the foundations to help it grow powerful again only to abandon it like the former Sith Emperor did." Imperius looks directly at Marr "I do not abandon my people." she finishes.

All members of the council turn their heads to Darth Marr to see what she would do next. It is silent, even Scourge seems to be as still as a statue, making Kallig wonder if Scourge is secretly amused or actually uneasy.

Eventually Marr speaks, "From the strength demonstrated before in your duel with Nathema, and your passionate speech about preserving the Empire, I suppose I am... convinced that you are who Lord Scourge says you are. Ideally, I would offer you Nathema's seat, but seeing as you already are a council member, I welcome you back as the head of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge. Thank you Darth Occulus for your hard work preserving that Sphere." Marr motions for Imperius to take her seat on the council. Turning to the other Dark Lords, Marr asks "Now that Nathema's seat is vacant, any suggestions as to who should take over?"

"Perhaps Lord Rampage?" Darth Severin suggests.

"Rampage? He's just as bad as Nathema. How about Lord Straton? He does have military experience." Darth Occulus offers.

"How about Lord Scourge?" Imperius suggests, causing all councillors to stop speaking. "I am actually surprised that he hasn't been on the council this whole time. He would make a good addition as he has many years experience in battles and interrogations. I nominate Lord Scourge as the new head of the Sphere of Military Offense." Imperius states.

"Scourge has never… requested a seat on the council and had in fact, insisted that his role was to be outside Council jurisdiction as the Emperor- I mean Empire's Wrath. A title that he claims -and historian Lord Mythia has confirmed- was given to him before you left." Marr mentions.

Imperius smirks under her mask and turns to look at Scourge. "Well now I am back. We may need to find another person to take that title, don't you think Lord Scourge?"

"I do not know my Lord."

Knowing the sequence of events leading up to this moment, Imperius retorts "Of course you know Lord Scourge." Turning to the other councillors, Imperius asks " So who shall we put on the council?"

Marr speaks up, "Those in favour of Lord Scourge, raise your hand." All but two councillors raised their hands. "Very well, it is done. Welcome to the Council, Darth Scourge, head of the Sphere of Military Offense."

Scourge bows. "It is an honour to serve."

Imperius turns to Marr, "Shall we conclude this Council session?" she asks. Marr nods in response. "Yes, we have much to sort through and I believe you have much to catch up on. Darth Occulus can help you with what has been happening within your Sphere. We will reconvene tomorrow as I believe you have more to discuss."

"Yes, one more day will not be of any consequence." Imperius states.

"Very well. Council session is now closed. May the Force serve us all." Marr concludes, rising from her seat, followed by the other council members.

When all council members had left the room, Imperius turns to Scourge "You actually used _that_ title?"  
"I never could stand politics." Scourge grumbled. That caused Imperius to burst out laughing. When she caught her breath, she sighs with a chuckle. " And you think I like politics? Oh, by the way, don't think I didn't notice your stunt with Nathema. I experienced enough of that power play with Zash. Of course, I was happy to assist, especially since I realised he was a fool."

"Only fulfilling my role in protecting and serving the Empire my Lord." Scourge replies, not acknowledging or denying the accusation. "...the Empire does not need fools."

"No it does not." Imperius agrees. "Also, you are now a Council member whether you like it or not. It is the least you owe me after that stunt. You do not need to call me "my lord". We are on the same level now. We, however, do need to find a new Empire's Wrath. I want to avoid any Emperors or Empresses from rising, we do not need another Vitiate, Acina or Sidious at the point. Speaking of which-" Imperius was interrupted by a disturbance in the Force, a disturbance originating from the Dark Side. "Scourge? Do you feel that?"

"Yes… I felt a disturbance. A powerful dark user, not as powerful as Vitiate. It feels similar to..." Scourge turns in surprise, "Could it be-"

"Snoke. Damn it!" Imperius interrupts, cursing when she realises what just happened. "Sithspit! It happened too soon… I apologise Scourge, it seems we won't have the opportunity to personally destroy Snoke. I have a feeling that the Apprentice has defeated the Master." She huffs in annoyance. "Now we have to deal with a temper tantrum child who doesn't know what to do with the First Order. It seems like we will have to speed things along Scourge. Now with the loss of Snoke, everything has become unpredictable. Now may be the perfect opportunity to reclaim Korriban and land rapid strikes against the First Order. I can only assume he will want to hunt down the rest of the Resistance, so he will be distracted. I guess it is some small comfort he is not as bad as Vaylin and Arcann…"

Scourge snorts in response. "They are of Vitiate. Nothing could be worse. Speaking of families… that Jedi initiate you found. What became of her?"

Imperius' eyes widen in realisation "I… I'm not sure. She left, intending to "redeem" Kylo Ren. However with this development… I never felt a disturbance or absence…" she breathes a sigh of relief. "I assume she's safe."

"Do you think perhaps she killed Snoke?"

"Unlikely. Snoke is skilled and disciplined. Most likely was killed with the element of surprise or betrayal. Plus I don't feel a fall, but I do feel hatred coming from Kylo… and surprise and disappointment from Rey."

"...Seems they aren't in agreement." Scourge states. "No. I didn't expect they would be. The girl is still young and naive. Much like a true Jedi initiate or Padawan… Full of hope and ideals." Imperius replies. "Hopefully she understands a little better after this. I think she will be ok for now, but with this unexpected development with Snoke…" She sighs, "I must meditate. I will speak to Marr to arrange another meeting shortly."

"Very well. I will be awaiting the council summons." Scourge replies and turns, walking to his quarters.

After Imperius watches Scourge walk away, she turns seeing HK still on surveillance mode. Sighing, she signals HK to accompany her. "You are getting better at being discrete HK. I'm impressed."

"Why thank you Master! Observation: Your sighing implied otherwise."

Imperius hummed in response. "No, I just discovered that there's been a complication."

"Query: Oh? Is it regarding the young Jedi, Master?"

"Partly yes. She is fine, but circumstances have pushed plans forward. Korriban will be sooner than we thought." Imperius replies walking back to her quarters deep in thought.


	9. Chapter 9

' _Meditation can make things clear or more complicated. It can help calm or help agitate. It is meant to help centre oneself, but can also make one lose focus and experience chaos instead of peace. What you experience is partly up to you, but also the will of the Force.'_

Teachings from the holocron of Chrysi Sathor, Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order.

* * *

" _Ah look, more slaves."_

" _Rey, you're destined to be a Jedi. I cannot train you in that."_

" _Korriban is a forsaken place. Be careful acolyte."_

" _Listen to me Cora, you will be safer with the Jedi in the Republic. Don't worry, we will find each other one day."_

" _Slave, welcome to my humble hole. You are here for your trial, yes?"_

" _It's done. They've taken the Academy."_

" _The Barsen'thor and the Hero of Tython were here on Korriban?"_

" _Good to see you again Imperius. With me- the Emperor's Wrath and you here, we will have Korriban secured in no time. "_

" _Time to wake up love."_

Imperius jolts out of her meditation with a gasp, and tiredly rubs her face in frustration. She stands up, keenly aware of how stiff her limbs are after such a long meditation session and walks towards the holoterminal deciding if she should call Scourge first and make him wait in the council chambers just for her own amusement or just be boring and call Darth Marr. Eventually she sighs and decides on calling Marr, _'I will get my amusement out of Scourge another time,'_ she muses. She puts on Lord Kallig's mask as she waits for Marr to respond.

After a few moments, Marr answers the call. "Yes Imperius? I thought we were to reconvene tomorrow?"

Imperius nods in response. "Yes we were. However, I felt a disturbance in the Force that must be addressed."

"A disturbance? I have not felt anything. Are you sure?"

"Yes I am sure. I sense conflict with the apprentice- Kylo Ren of the First Order and the death of Grandmaster Smoke. I believe the First Order will be in a state of destability in the near future."

Marr nods in agreement. "Yes if Smoke is truly gone, then I am inclined to agree with you. I suppose I did feel an echo of… something. I can only assume because of your "exposure" to the core worlds and proximity to the First Order and the Jedi, you would be more sensitive to disturbances in the Force of that nature. But how is this an urgent matter?"

"It is urgent as now is the most vital time to reclaim Korriban before the First Order can stabilise themselves under General Hux and Kylo Ren's leadership. All I know about Kylo Ren is that he wants to destroy the last of the Jedi- Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, son of Darth Vader. That vendetta he has makes him predictable and reckless which is his undoing. However, once Skywalker dies, Ren's motives and behaviour will become more unpredictable, which will not be to our advantage. If we strike and reclaim Korriban now, by the time they realise what has happened, we will be able to destroy them."

With Marr's silence, Imperius can only assume she is deliberating whether to ignore her request as head of the Dark Council, or perform her duty in serving and protecting the Empire like her ancestor, which also means giving Imperius the satisfaction of being (to an extent) obeyed.

Ultimately it seems Marr's reputation wins out rather than her pride and she agrees. "Very well. I shall summon the other councillors. Be in the council chambers in half an hour. Marr out."

"That could've gone worse…" Imperius says to herself before slowly making her way to the council chambers with HK in tow.

As Imperius enters the Council chambers, she sees Scourge already inside. "See anything useful in your meditation _Kallig_?"

"No… if anything, things are even more unclear than before _Wrath._ However, one thing is clear- with or without meditation and that is we must go to Korriban."

"Korriban…" Scourge says. "I wonder if it is how we remember it. I sense many things will happen once we reclaim our world. What did you see during your meditation?"

"Ghosts of the past." Imperius curtly replies, effectively putting an end to that topic of conversation, walking past Scourge and taking her seat in the council chambers. Scourge follows, observing her with curiosity and taking his seat also. Trying a different tactic, he asks, "Why Korriban now? Why not Ziost? Or Yavin Four? Or even Athiss? You have been avoiding that planet- like you have with Nathema and Zakuul- for a long time. You are aware as much as I am through the Force that Korriban will have a significant impact on everything after it has been reclaimed. Your life… will change once again. The Force has deemed it so and you know it. What is it you haven't told Marr?"

"My reasons are my own Scourge. Yes I know Korriban will change things… My life was irreversibly changed when I went there as an acolyte. After what I experienced on that forgotten Jedi world and interacting with Rey, I knew it was time- whether I liked it or not- to return to the Empire and reclaim my position and role. My reasons behind needing to go to Korriban will not harm the Empire. If anything, I feel it will strengthen it amongst other things. There is nothing that Marr- or should I say, _Marrvisas_ needs to know." Imperius replies. "After this, I will need to speak to Skywalker again. He needs to train Rey. The time of the Jedi is drawing near once again."

"You mean the time of the Jedi is coming to an end?" Scourge asks.

"No. It is as I said. The time of the Jedi is drawing near. It is time for the Jedi to reclaim their place in the galaxy. Let me make this clear however- the Force does not control my destiny. My life will change because I know it will. We control the Force, not allow the Force to control us."

"Hm. Yes, the Force serves me." Scourge interrupts, quoting a familiar and common Sith saying.

"Yes." Imperius continues, "Exactly. The Force serves _me_. However, the Force also needs balance… an equilibrium if you will, otherwise it will keep forcing changes. I will provide that equilibrium in order to keep the Force in check… and I suppose to keep us in check also. We don't need infighting and such and end up wiping ourselves out, like the Sith in the past had done."

Scourge nods "I agree with you Imperius. If you say all this to Marr, I'm sure she would agree with you also."

As Scourge finished speaking, the other councillors slowly entered the chambers, one by one taking their seats. Most looked disgruntled being called back for another meeting. Finally Marr takes her seat, mask still on, but not the hood. "Apologies for sudden call fellow councillors. Darth Imperius specifically requested this meeting and feels this request will be for the good of the Empire." Marr nods at Imperius "You may make your case to the council."

Imperius rises and walks to the middle of the council chambers. "Thank you Darth Marr. Fellow Dark Councillors. We are Sith are we not? We have continued to exist and protect our Order have we not? We have kept together the Empire… The Preserved Imperial Sith Empire for so long have we not?" A murmur of 'yes' could be heard. Imperius continued "Due to a disturbance in the Force I have confirmed that the First Order's leader- Grandmaster Snoke is dead, which leaves his apprentice Kylo Ren- grandson of Darth Vader- as the new leader of the First Order. Ren is foolish and destructive and only wants to destroy his uncle, the last of the Jedi and son of Darth Vader- Luke Skywalker. The Jedi and Sith mean nothing to him.

That is why I come to you with a request. After long and deep meditation, I strongly feel that the Force is telling me that it is time to reclaim Korriban and solidify our hold in the galaxy once more."

"I have no objection to any battle or skirmish Imperius, but I do wonder why you never wanted Korriban reclaimed before now?" Occulus asks. Nodding his head at Scourge, he continues, "Scourge gave all council member specific instructions since the formation of the Preserved Empire and one was not to heavily populate the former Sith Worlds or to make them strongholds- although deploying a small garrison and keeping it solely as an outpost was allowed- and to keep communication at an absolute minimum, with any necessary development to be done underground. Why all the secrecy until now?"

"I agree with Occulus. I do understand covert operation, but we could have slowly taken worlds closer to Korriban by now and as such, not waste time in waiting for reinforcements." Severin states.

"I sense there is more to this than solely military advancement, despite what you said about the demise of Snoke. What did you see in your meditation Imperius?" Chrysis asks.

Kallig _really_ did not want to go into details about her less than pleasant meditation experience, so she opted for the more Sith-understandable and relatable aspects of it. "Scourge knows of the strategy regarding the non-advancement rule on these worlds, which is why he has not made any comment as of yet." Taking a breath she continues " After the Empire collapsed, many Lords and Moffs wanted power of whatever remained. I took those among my Powerbase and any who believed in my vision- Imperial officers, troops, agents, ships and fellow Sith, lords and apprentices- away from Dromund Kaas and established a colony on Dosuun and on Pion in Wild Space, only to ensure that the warring factions did not get in our way. You all know Sith history from there. I did organise scouting missions to see the status of what was left of the Empire in the Unknown regions and Outer Rim and was not surprised to see it had completely disappeared. Ziost was in ruins, Korriban was abandoned once again and Dromund Kaas was again ransacked by the Republic and left in ruins. It was a miserable sight for what was once the glorious Sith Empire.

I also noticed the Republic constantly monitoring the Sith Worlds and Jedi doing constant scouting and surveillance expeditions to our beloved worlds. I could not risk our activities to be discovered prematurely which is why I limited expansion to Wild Space and certain worlds in the Unknown Regions. However, one exception I made was keeping contact with the Chiss Ascendency at Csilla. The Chiss had been loyal allies to the Empire and I did not wish for that to change.

The Chiss also served as protection and monitors for me and the Empire. In fact, the famous "Grand Admiral Thrawn" who served for Darth Sidious happened due to my involvement. He made sure to keep our worlds and the Chiss Ascendency hidden from him. Over time I did advise previous council members and Scourge with worlds to inhabit in the Unknown Regions and Outer Rim that would not arouse suspicion with the Republic. Those are my reasons for holding back a large expansion of our Empire for so long." Imperius allowed herself a small smirk. "However, that does not mean there are NO forces near Korriban… I did say any development was to be done underground if

necessary… Isn't that right Lycius?" Imperius asks turning to the Sith Lord of Sith Intelligence. Lycius slightly fidgets in his seat, uncomfortable with the position he's been put in but still answers with a blunt "yes."

Severin and Marr look at him in surprise. "Why was I not notified of this? I am in charge of expansion Lycius!?"

"I also am concerned why I was not informed of the long termed military expansion, as part of my role of Military Defence and as the leading member of the Council." Marr growls out. Imperius frowns under her mask and looks to Scourge, who seemed quite... relaxed? Still frowning, Imperius replies "Scourge should have informed you of all expansions and military strategies Marr. He had no problem relaying information to the Dark Councillors before you. I apologise for the lack of communication on his part, especially now that he is also a Dark Councillor." Still looking at Scourge she adds "From the moment I came in contact with your fleet there seemed to be a high lack of communication."

Seemingly allowing the subject go for now, Marr asks "So there are confirmed bases on the Sith Worlds?"

"As far as I am aware, yes. Some are still officially outposts, some are bases and some are actual colonies. I used that opportunity to redirect more troops and resources during the rise of the Rebel Alliance. As the Republic turned Empire was distracted with the war with the Rebels, I seized the opportunity to redirect some materials in preparation of our re-entry into former Sith Space." Sighing quietly, she turns to Darth Chrysis. "Yes, the Force serves you well Chrysis. Yes, with the destabilisation of the Republic and the distraction of the First Order, now is the opportune time to reclaim our worlds with little resistance. However, yes, here is another reason. I had a vision… Korriban will be the focal point of many things… The direction of the Empire lies in the reclamation of Korriban. Our purpose as Sith can only be truly felt on Korriban. Korriban calls to me… as it has for centuries…" Imperius closes her eyes and Scourge leans forward in confusion and in interest. "Surely you all must have felt the pull of the Dark Side… the call of Korriban? I can sense the fate of the Empire rests solely on this act."

"Are you saying the Empire may not survive if we do not reclaim it now? Marr asks.

"No. But I am certain that the Sith and the Empire will flourish if we do." Imperius replies.

Marr leans back in her seat sighing heavily. "I admit… I have felt the Dark Side pulling me with more urgency… urging me to take go to the Sith Worlds as of late."

"As have I." Necron replies

"And I." Chrysis adds.

And other murmurs and nods of agreement were heard from other councillors in the Council Chambers… all except for Scourge. _'If anything, he seemed distracted'_ Imperius noted.

"A show of hands. Who in favour of claiming Korriban?" Marr asks. All members, including Scourge raised their hands. Marr nods "Very well. We will immediately set coordinates to Pion to gather the fleet and proceed to Korriban. We shall reconvene once we arrive on Pion. This session is now concluded."

All councillors nod in response and leave the council chambers. Imperius grabs Scourge by the arm, stopping him from leaving. "What was that Scourge? Members of the Dark Council should be aware of the strategy we put in place. That was the purpose of you remaining here. Thank the Force that Marr was running the Council not Nathema, otherwise, the Empire could have already been in another war! What possessed you to think that it was unimportant to mention the Imperial outposts to Marr?" Imperius hisses. She could have sworn she saw a flash of an amused smirk when she asked him that. "So Korriban does call to you after all Imperius." Scourge states, completely ignoring everything.

"Of course it does. I am not a Jedi, or just some Force adept. I am Sith. I felt its power and the call of the Dark Side…I faced the trials and survived." Imperius retorts. "Hmph. So you have." Scourge replies. "You are aware that I am not your lackey Imperius. While you went into hiding or exile or whatever you would like to call it, I had to stop council members from destroying the Empire from within. Sith Lords had to be dealt with. Not all Sith appreciate what you created for them, not all Sith care for the future of our order or for the Empire. Not all Sith appreciate _you._ The only way to gain power and authority is to take the role of Empress as Acina did, otherwise you will be forever combating in the _Kaggath_ to prove yourself."

Imperius releases his arm and sighs "Yes… I understand Scourge and I am sorry. I rather be the "Commander" than the "Emperor". It reminds me too much of Vitiate. However, I will not take Marr's seat. She has earned that rank and has the best interests of the Empire at heart, like her ancestor. She will remain as the head of the Dark Council and the Commander-in-Chief of the Empire. Once we arrive at Korriban, then I will decide what to do." and with that, she walks off towards her quarters, unable to shake the feeling that something felt off with Scourge and the revelation during the meeting concerned her even more. "What is happening to you Scourge?" she whispers to herself.

Meanwhile, Marr witnesses the exchange between Scourge and Imperius from a distance. She could sense genuine anger from Imperius, but calmness and…. Something else from Scourge. She sensed it before when he returned from an expedition on Malachor Three. She makes a mental note to speak to Imperius after Korriban is secured. To say she wasn't looking forward to this would be a lie. _"Finally...after all this time we will get to see Korriban with our own eyes."_ Marr thinks to herself. She did feel surprise from Imperius when it was revealed Scourge withheld information, but she will still have to find out how much of the Empire's presence is already in the region. She takes comfort in knowing that at least her trust in the legendary "Forcewalker" and "Alliance Commander" was not misplaced.

* * *

 **A/N:** For those still interested in this story, sorry for the long wait. You'll be happy to know I'll have two chappies up today, Can't guarantee when the next one will be though. Thank you and remember- constructive criticism is appreciated but no flames please.


	10. Chapter 10

Getting to Pion didn't take as long as she remembered, _'They must've upgraded their engines'_ Kallig noted. "Announcement: Master, my sensors suggest we have arrived at Pion and Darth Marr would like to speak with you privately."

"Your _sensors_ HK? The "sensors" that are currently plugged and hacking the Imperial mainframe you mean?" Kallig asks with an amused smirk.

"Affirmation: That is correct Master. Query: Has my "humour" subroutine improved Master?"

"Yes yes it has HK. Well done!" Kallig's replies laughing. "I will find some more material for you to study later. How does that sound?"

"Statement: I would prefer eliminating meatbags Master, but if this pleases you, then I shall do my best."

Kallig's shakes her head while grinning, "Oh HK, I never said you can't do both. Don't worry, we will be at Korriban soon. Plenty of First Order troops for you to practice with."

"Anticipation: I am looking forward to that Master."

"Good. Now, you said Marr would like to speak to me?" As she said this, her comm starts beeping. She puts her mask on as per her protocol when dealing with anyone other than Scourge or HK. When she answers it, it is none other than Marr. "Darth Marr."

"Darth Imperius."

She waits.

Silence.

Imperius decides to break the silence, "What can I do for you?"

"We have arrived at Pion."

"Yes, I am aware. What do you need Marr?"

"May… May we speak in person, in private?"

Under her mask Kallig frowns "Of course. You can come to my quarters if you wish. Is everything alright?"

"I hope so Imperius." Marr sighs, "I shall be there shortly. Marr out."

Still frowning Kallig leans back on her chair in thought. ' _Looks like I won't get to do any sight seeing on Pion today…'_ Kallig sighs. "HK please enable bodyguard protocol." She instructs. "Marr will be visiting shortly."

"Yes Master."

Moments later, she receives an incoming call. Marr has arrived. She gets up and presses the switch opening the door, allowing Marr to step inside. "Please, take a seat." Kallig says and gestures to the lounge. Marr nods in reply and sits down. Sitting opposite in her chair, Kallig asks "So what is it that was so important that you needed to speak with me in private?"

"I need to know what is your plan for Korriban and for the Empire. Do you have any idea why Scourge would not notify me of these outposts?"

"No, I don't know why he didn't notify you. It is most… unusual, especially given his personality… or lack of." Kallig comments. "How do you feel about the Empire Darth Marrvisas?"

Marr bristles hearing her full Darth name, but still answers, " I serve the Empire and I would die for it."

Kallig nods. "Yes. That is what I thought. Just like your ancestor. No, I am not Lord Vitiate, Emperor Valkorion, nor am I an Empress. I know many Sith want a leader, an Emperor or Empress, as was the traditional power structure. I cannot promise anything as of yet, but after Korriban, we can discuss that issue further. I care about the Empire as much as you do. I will not betray you as Vitiate betrayed his people. You are aware of the Esfandia outpost?"

"Yes, I am aware of that outpost. Why?"

"Good. I needed to know if you were completely in the dark or not. Now, I do have small garrisons and outposts in the area formerly known on maps as the Seat of the Sith Empire. Some areas in the vicinity and in the unknown regions have colonies also. Only Scourge and key council members were to know of this, should anything happen in the Core Worlds, or in the Empire itself. You should have been told of this particular development. In any case, we both have the same interests. We serve the Empire and we live for the Empire. As I said, if we reclaim our world, it will boost morale for Sith and Imperial alike. There is one thing that I will tell you that Scourge does not know."

"And what might that be?"

"There are still inhabitants on Korriban. Luckily for me, they recognise my authority and my status and they willingly serve me. They are Sith purebloods and Kassai groups who will support me without question. I suspect some think I may be like a god… However, No Imperials are on that world, so no troops and no ships."

"I see. Very well. Thank you for your honesty Imperius. If the council cannot work together, then the Sith Empire will fall apart." Marr stands "I will assemble the fleet and rendezvous with Moff Pyron's fleet on Dosuun. We will have a briefing with the other members of the Dark Council and then we will head to Korriban." As she walks towards the door, Kallig asks "Moff Pyron? Any relation to my Moff Pyron?"

Marr pauses as she is about to step out. "I believe so. They have a proud history of working with you and the development of the Silencers during the war with the Galactic Republic. They are proud of their lineage and due to that, there will be at least one member of the family that is an Imperial officer. You still have friends among the Empire Kallig. Remember that." Marr states before walking out.

Kallig sighs, taking off the mask and tiredly puts her head in her hands. "I wish you were here…" she whispers sadly.

 _Two days later…_

"...We leave for Korriban. Officers, please organise your troops and Sith- your apprentices any way you see fit. I expect the enemy to die, not our own. Council session is over."

Scourge is the first one to leave, but Kallig doesn't take any notice of it. _'Finally'_ she thinks to herself. "Anticipation: Master, my circuits are tingling with excitement. When we get to Korriban, may I kill them all?"

Kallig laughs "Of course you can HK. Show the troops what you are made of."

" _...Return to Harkun and nurture your hatred for him, and use your fear of him to grow stronger. He may raise his fist to strike, but it is Lord Zash who will determine where the blow will land."_

Kallig jolts awake. "Ugh" she groans and looks out her window to see a growing red-brown world. _'We're almost there.'_ Kallig observes, grinning to herself to herself and goes to find appropriate armour and robes for the "occasion".

As she heads towards the bridge, she sees Scourge looking through the viewport in the corridor. He seems to be deep in thought. As she walks up to him, he says one word. "Korriban."  
"Yes. Korriban."

"The day has finally arrived. It seems as if no time has passed. I wonder if the surface is as we remember it also."

"Well, there is only one way to find out. Are you ready to reclaim what is ours Scourge?"

Scourge chuckles, "I have been ready since we went into hiding. Even more so since the fall of the Republic. You on the other hand," he starts as he turns to face her, "I had feared I would be dead by the time you decided it was time." He silently scans her appearance. "Well Kallig… New attire I take it?"

"Attire I thought was befitting for this glorious and historic day for the Empire." Kallig states proudly, then adds "Also… I didn't want to ruin my favourite robes on Korriban of all places."

Scourge actually laughs, something Kallig was surprised to see. There was only one other time she had seen him genuinely laugh and it was decades ago. "That is why I don't have attachments with my clothing Imperius."

"To each their own Scourge. The truth is, these robes were designed here on Korriban. The armour, on Odessen. They seemed fitting for this occasion. Until later Scourge." Kallig replies, making her way to the bridge.

"Indeed. Try not to get sand in the armour Imperius. It is quite an inconvenience to clean." Scourge replies. Kallig can _hear_ him smirking and doesn't bother turning as she responds, "Duly noted."

Kallig arrives on the bridge, walking up to Darth Marr, who was silently viewing Korriban on the screen. "Marr," Kallig greets. "Imperius." Marr greets in reply. "Hm. Interesting choice of attire Imperius." Kallig was wearing dark purple robes, with light armour over it. The robe had material draping over the armour with dark red coloured ancient Sith symbols decorating it, as well as the cuffs and the armour itself engraved with silver and black Sith symbols and the Imperial Sith Empire insignia. "You look...dressed to impress."

Kallig internally sighs ' _Not again…'_ "Well the sandstorms on Korriban don't do anyone-nor their robes or armour- any favours and I prefer not to ruin my favourite robes. As you should realise by now, I always aim to impress… in strength and in appearance. If I am to lead the Empire… I should at least look the part don't you think?"

Marr chuckles in reply and looks hard at Imperius trying to determine how much is real and how much is sarcasm. "It is moments like these I hate it when Sith wear masks." Marr admits. "Of course I am also wearing a mask for similar reasons I suppose." She turns back to the viewer. "So this is the holy world of Korriban. Homeworld of the Sith. Scourge's kind are from this planet correct?"

"Yes." Kallig replies with a nod. "His race are called Sith purebloods. I thought all Sith know this? Or have the Sith Lords responsible for teaching our history been slacking as of late?"

"No… Just wanted to confirm with you since you know more than any historian."

"I see." Kallig also turns to the viewer, observing the planet. She has mixed feelings about coming back here. It holds… memories. _'Not exactly good memories, but important ones nonetheless… as well as many unpleasant ones.'_ Kallig thinks to herself. Turning to Marr she clasps her hands together and asks, "So, time to claim ourselves a planet?"

Marr chuckles. "Eager are we Imperius?" Turning to the comms, she activates it and says aloud, "Imperials and fellow Sith. We have arrived at Korriban. I want a perimeter set up in defence formation around the planet.. I don't want any surprises especially from the First Order. Teams will be assembled and deployed to inspect the planet on foot and to neutralise any threats that may be there. It is time to reclaim our world!"

Immediately Marr and Imperius were met with roars of approval and battlecries from both Imperials and Sith on the bridge and over the comms. Turning to Imperius, Marr asks, "Shall we?" Imperius grins under her mask and replies, "Lead the way Marr."

Turning back to the crew on the bridge Marr points to a certain group of troops with a slightly different uniform to the rest of the troops on the bridge, "Thanaton squad, come with me." And with that, they move towards the shuttle bay. As they are nearing the shuttle bay doors, Imperius feels a disturbance in the Force. She comes to a complete stop and tries to pinpoint the disturbance. Marr turns to her. "Imperius? What is it?"

"I feel something…. A disturbance…. A… loss?" Her eyes widen in realisation. "Skywalker has become one with the Force. I can feel the conflict he was harbouring for so long has finally resolved and he is now at peace. He may actually become stronger now. Now that Skywalker is gone, Kylo Ren may shift his attention elsewhere. Looks like we will have to speed things along."

Marr nods in understanding. "Agreed. Keep moving troops!" And together with Thanaton squad, they all boarded the shuttle making their way to the planet's surface.

As soon as the doors opens, they were all met with a blast of heat, wind and sand. _'Just as I remember it.'_ Kallig thinks to herself. "I now understand why you changed robes Imperius. You were not exaggerating about the sand."

"Yet, with this harsh climate, it is the perfect terrain for Sith to train." Kallig states, leading the squad forward towards one of the ancient ruins nearby to set up a perimeter.

As the troops set up, Kallig looks around with the feelings of anger, sadness and nostalgia washing over her. "Statement: Master, Korriban hasn't changed at all. Disappointment: There are no hostile meatbags to eliminate." HK states as the droid walks up to her. "Don't worry. They will come." Kallig reassures him. From the corner of her eye she can see Scourge approaching her and doesn't seem to be slowing down. "Scourge? What are you doing here, you were assigned elsewhere." Marr asks. Scourge ignores her and continues towards Kallig. Something doesn't sit quite right. "Warning: Master-"

"I know." Imperius quietly interrupts and ignites her lightsaber, swinging it up just as Scourge brings his down mid ignition. "Have you gone mad?!" Marr shouts. "Do not interfere Marr!" Imperius yells over the hiss of the lightsabers and uses the close proximity to carefully study Scourge and notices something in his aura and his eyes- Scourge is expressing _emotions_. Not an emotion, but _many emotions._ Last they spoke, he has started to feel anxiety and frustration, but still quite faint, but a start nonetheless. _'This...this is something else. This is actual uninhibited emotion.'_ "Scourge…?" she carefully asks. He smirks. "Yes… and no. I told you I would take my revenge on you. I didn't think a Sith such as Scourge would be weak enough for me to take over unawares."

"You are a Jedi or Sith spirit I presume?"

"You do not recognise me it seems… but I definitely recognise you. That mask and those Sith robes do not fool me!" Scourge shouts and swings his lightsaber again with Imperius blocking once again. "I have angered and killed many Jedi and Sith. Which one are you?" Imperius asks. "Hahaha such a _mighty_ _Jedi_ turning to the dark side and thinks she can claim the title of Sith." He spits out as he says "Sith". Imperius frowns and narrows her eyes in confusion. "I have never been a Jedi. What nonsense are you sprouting Spirit?" Imperius questions.

"Scourge" seems not to have heard or chooses to ignore. " I assume you have never seen Scourge truly fight. I will show you why he was the Emperor's Wrath for so long _Dark Jedi._ " Kallig takes an instinctive step back and then another. Just looking at Scourge it is obvious that in brute strength he is more powerful. She can safely assume his strengths are like that of Malgus, but with the entity within him, he may be more unpredictable. She will have to rely more on distance, force tricks and agility. She doesn't get much time to think as Scourge- or whoever that is- lunges at her again. Imperius dances around him, blocking attacks that get too close and sending short bursts of lightning and other force attacks when the opportunity arises, trying to buy time to work out what is going on.

' _It thinks I am a Jedi. Most definitely this is a Sith spirit. Why did I not sense it before? And when did this happen?'_ The entity's laugh shakes her out of her thoughts _,_ "You are weak, like before. Too scared to face me in close combat. You were too scared and weak to strike me down last time, instead you used a Jedi trick and blocked me out of my vessel. Since you have not tried this again, I assume your life force is diminishing, and here on Korriban, the Dark Side runs strong! Your abilities will not save you! Hahahaha!"

Kallig just narrowly misses lightning from Scourge ' _Well that's new. But… Ghost blocking technique? Diminished life force?'_ Briefly, she remembers Cora and her pale face after a certain mission-

 _..."I was on a mission to save my master. She was being controlled by some kind of Sith manipulation... They call it the Force Plague I think? The technique I needed to use to cure her just took a lot out of me that's all. Nothing to worry about." …_

Kallig narrows her eyes at the memory and her new suspicion. She slices at Scourge's armour, blade meeting flesh and hears him hiss in pain. She flips back, trying to gain some distance again and calls out, "Where did you meet Scourge?"

"Where do you think, Jedi? Where you left me on Malachor Three."

Kallig sharply inhales, her suspicions confirmed and narrows her eyes in growing anger as another memory- another conversation comes to mind…

 _..."Force Plague? I've never heard of that technique and I'm not aware of any Sith in this area. Are you sure Cora?"_

" _Well... actually... Xanthe, it wasn't a Sith exactly, it was a Sith Spirit called Terrak Morrhage. He possessed a Jedi Padawan that turned to the Dark Side and called himself Lord Vivicar and wanted revenge. He said the only way to stop him was to kill him. Instead, I used an ancient shielding technique I learned from the holocrons at the Jedi temple and severed his hold on the Padawan. But like I said, it is an intense technique."_

 _Kallig isn't convinced. 'You look like death spewed on you. I know exhaustion. That-" she gestures with her hands- "is not normal exhaustion. What does it really do? How does it really work?" Cora looked uneasy but after a few moments, reluctantly replied, "According to the holocron, the ability is so intense that it requires the user's life-force for it to work." She pauses and looks away before continuing, "The Jedi in the holocron claim that the original Jedi who developed the technique had eventually died due to shielding too many Jedi from the Plague. Morrhage confirmed as much before I exorcised him."..._

Kallig is brought back to the present, the anger and rage simmering in her, "So am I right to say you are Terrak Morrhage?" She questions calmly. "Ah, so you _do_ remember me. I promised you I would regain my strength and destroy you. And here I am. How you are still alive after so long is a mystery, but one I will soon rectify!" He shouts as he lunges again, this time he actually lands a hit on Kallig's armour, cutting through the robes and into the armour, slowly piercing through- "I finally have my revenge. Goodbye Jedi." Morrhage gleefully says when as he pushes Scourge's saber further in, when it suddenly flickers and dies. "What-?"

He doesn't get to finish that question as Kallig immediately grabs Scourge's arm holding the lightsaber and sends an intense stream of Force Lightning into him. Morrhage starts screaming in agony and tries to pull away, but she keeps a vice like grip on him, sending more Force Lightning into him until he falls to his knees. Then she finally stops, and observes Scourge/ Morrhage panting with smoke rising from his armour. "Cortosis layered armour." Kallig states, "Very handy against lightsabers, but not useful against much else. It was an idea- a customised gift by someone very dear to me. It seemed her idea worked out well."

She starts circling him, "So it was you who caused my sister so much suffering. It was because of you that her life was being robbed before my very eyes."

He looks at her in confusion, "Your sister? But you look just like her- How is this possible? Jedi and Sith- sisters!?" He painfully cries out in disbelief. "Regardless, as I told her, your only option is to kill Scourge. I doubt you know that technique that she used on me." He says with a smug look.

"You are correct. I do not know the technique. I will not needlessly kill Scourge, but I am still Sith and I will not spare your essence." He looks at her in confusion and asks " What do you mean by you won't spare my essence? You cannot kill a ghost!" Although no one can see under her mask, Kallig grins cruelly. "Oh but I can. You see, these abilities run in my bloodline. She- as a Jedi- could block or exorcise ghosts and I- as a Sith- can bind ghosts. I am a Dark Lord of the Sith, a member of the Dark Council and master of the Force Walk." Scourge's face pales, "You have mastered the Force Walk and lived?" He asks in disbelief. "No one has survived the Force Walk without going mad and dying an excruciating death!" He exclaims, trying to get up. Kallig shoots him with another burst of lightning to keep him down. "Now… I _would_ bind you, but after what you did to my sister, I will _destroy_ you." Kallig hisses. Morrhage scoffs in reply "You cannot bind a ghost that already has a host."

"Watch me." Kallig coldy replies. "But as I said, I will not be binding you… I will _eat_ you." And before Morrhage could try for one last attempt on her life, Kallig Force pushes him off balance and fires one last blast of Force Lightning, long enough until he is barely moving, the smell of burning cloth coming through and extends her hand, pulling out the Sith spirit from Scourge and keeps it floating seemingly bound in front of her- absorbing its energy and knowledge before calmly saying "Goodbye Morrhage. This is for my sister Cora." And with one final burst of energy, Morrhage disappears with a final dying scream.

Satisfied that Morrhage was no more she turns and kneels next to Scourge to assess his injuries. "Can you hear me Scourge?" When she receives no answer, she turns to call for help when she sees Marr already approaching her. "I had a feeling something was wrong with him. I felt something unusual with him when he returned from Malachor recently. Then he seemed himself again until the meeting regarding Korriban."

Kallig shakes her head, "I should have been able to sense this. I have become too complacent."

"Do not be too hard on yourself Imperius." Marr replies and looks over at Scourge. "If he is truly the former Emperor's Wrath like you both claim, then he shall recover. He is most definitely alive, I can assure you of that Imperius." She signals the medics over, "Take him to back to the ship. He is of no use to us." Marr orders. "Right away my Lord." The leading medic replies. As they prepare their equipment, Kallig senses a disturbance and almost immediately after, Marr's holo alerts them with an incoming message. "My Lord, we have just detected multiple ships in the vicinity. They have been identified as First Order and have surrounded us! We have been led into a trap! What are your orders?"

"What?! That cannot- Nevermind. Hold your ground and do not let one ship through! Show the First Order how to fear the Empire!"

"Very well my Lord."

Marr nods as the transmission ends. "I have no idea Marr, so don't even ask." Kallig states before Marr even turns to her. "She may not know…. But I do." Scourge weakly admits, slowly sitting up. "Explain." Marr orders. ""Morrhage wanted revenge. If anything were to happen, he wanted the First Order to destroy what he could not. He used my knowledge to leak information to the First Order, hence how they know where and how many we are."

"And now we are sitting womp rats and may even lose this world again. No! I will not allow it." Marr hisses. "And you," she says, pointing at Scourge, "Will have to prove yourself as a Sith. I never thought you to be weak Scourge."

"Weakness has little to do with this. He offered me something that I deemed worth the risk. However, I did not anticipate the betrayal. Of course, I will not leave here until every member of the First Order is dead."

"Get ready. I can see the shuttles now." Kallig warns, as she pulls out her comm. "I have arrived. Do you read?"

"Dark Lord?"

"Yes, I am here."

"I shall come to greet you." The comm deactivates and Kallig continues walking towards the ruins. A Sith Pureblood comes out to greet her along with another individual that Marr can only assume is Kissai. "My Lord!" They declare as they kneel before Kallig. "Rise, loyal Sith'ari." She replies. "Gather your people. The time for the Sith Empire to reclaim and restore this world to its proper glory has come! However, before that can be achieved, we have an enemy called the First Order who have ambushed us and we need to stop them."

"Of course Dark Lord. We will send message to all tribes immediately!" and with that they bow and run back.

As she hears Marr approaching, she asks "How bad is it up there?" She hears Marr sigh. "He described it as being led into a trap. There is no way in or out. They are aware of our position and numbers." Kallig nods in understanding. "Very well. I suspected this may have been a likely scenario. Excuse me, I need to make two calls." Kallig says quite calmly and activates her holocomm once again.

"My Lord?"

"Ah Major Kenneth. Glad to see you have not retired yet."

"Of course not, Lord Imperius. I will not retire until I see the Empire come back to its former glory!"

"Well Major, that day has come. Enact 'Operation Vengeance'."

"I… Yes, Yes! Of course my Lord!" The Major shout over to the other officers, "Enact 'Operation Vengeance' now! It is not a drill!" Turning back to Kallig he says "We shall rendezvous with you on Korriban shortly."

"Very good. I look forward to seeing you Major. Imperius out."

Kallig then sends another signal- "Yes? Oh, Darth Imperius! What an unexpected surprise!"

"It is good to see you are well Moff Carsen. Today is your lucky day. It is time for 'Operation Kaasper' to commence."

"I never thought I would live to see the day…" the Moff says to himself in disbelief, but quickly comes back to himself replying, "Of course my Lord! I shall make preparations immediately!"

Kallig nods "Very good. Imperius out." Turning to Marr and Scourge, she says, now all we have to do is kill troops and buy time. Easy. Isn't that right HK?"

"Affirmation: Of course Master. But Master… Can't I kill them all?" Kallig chuckles, "If you can, then yes- kill them all."

"Well here is your chance droid, here they come!" Scourge declares as they all activate their lightsabers. "Thanatos squad, prepare yourselves!" Marr warns. When the First Order troops get close enough, Marr shouts out "For the Empire!" and runs into the fray while the troops respond with a war cry of their own before opening fire.

Xanthe can feel the Dark Side coursing through her veins. Being washed over by the dark energies of Korriban make her feel somewhat revitalised and refreshed, and can feel some exhilaration from the intense combat, the thrills of battle being a distant memory for so long, she had doubted she would ever feel this way again. The realisation of this comforts her. She never expected Korriban of all places would start to make her feel like herself again. She is half tempted to take off her mask, just so they can look upon the face of the one who would kill them, ' _But no… Better for them to see the mask of Kallig. Plus getting injured or killed because of sand getting in my eyes would be unbecoming of a Darth.'_ She smiles to herself as she kills another First Order trooper. She has lost count, but it doesn't matter as she hasn't felt this good in years. "How are you faring HK?" She yells over the sound of blasters and sabers. "All meatbags have been eliminated Master. Disappointment: They are no match for me. They have very slow response times."

"Glad to hear it HK. Don't be too disappointed, it just means you will get more target practice out of it." Kallig replies with a smirk. "Acknowledgement: Point taken Master." HK replies as he takes down another trooper. Kallig can see more troops gaining ground against Marr and Scourge, so she calls the Force to her and sends a large Force Wave to the shuttles, temporarily stopping any more troops coming down and unleashes a Force Storm to create some distance between them and the First Order, creating a temporary reprieve for them as they regain some strength. "Just like the old days Scourge?"

"Not as skilled as the Republic, but yes… It reminds me of the war."

"No Jedi here to destroy the Academy or to steal holocrons and kill Dark Council members this time."

"No. And also no Dark Advisor telling you where to go." Scourge retorts and then sighs. "I… That was uncalled for. I apologise Imperius."

Surprisingly, Xanthe didn't feel as bitter as she usually would when a reference to the _Advisor_ was made and chalked it up to the effects of Korriban. "Hmm… It seems age must be catching up with you then Scourge, because you are getting tired _and_ grumpy it seems." Kallig states and turns noticing the next wave of First Order troops making their way over, as well as more Sith Purebloods.

"Looks like break time is over fellow Darths and we also have some backup. Let us show them the fury of the Sith." Kallig happily declares and jumps into the fray assisted by HK and twirls her saber, slicing anyone unlucky enough to be close to her and electrocuting anyone too far away from her. "I think Imperius is losing her mind." Marr mutters. "No." Scourge says, shaking his head. "I think she is finally healing and finding herself again. You should have seen what she was like back in the days of the Galactic War. She had quite a reputation. For her to find enjoyment from this is something I never expected to see." He turns to face Marr. "And if you are lucky, she may actually agree to taking the mantle of Empress after this is over. Until then, let us destroy these pests." Marr nods and they run striking down all who stand in their way.

After what seemed like an eternity of "slicing and dicing", Kallig's holo rings and she stops long enough to answer it and is relieved to see the Major's face. "My Lord, we have arrived at Korriban. Are your ships aware of our status?"

Kallig looks at Marr and Scourge, with Marr already on her comm updating the Imperial fleet of the reinforcements. Looking back at the Major, she replies, "They are now. Provide assistance and destroy all ships. Do not let any escape. Send as much ground support as possible as well."

"Very well my Lord." the Major replies cutting off transmission. ' _It's almost over.'_ Kallig thinks to herself. Before long, the sky is light up with laser fire and explosions and the ground is full of sabers, blaster fire and dead troops, the sound of screams and blaster fire filling her ears. The sounds making her grin in satisfaction and by a quick glance, making Scourge grin in satisfaction too. _'And probably Marr as well.'_ Kallig thinks to herself.

Eventually, the sounds stop, the ground of Korriban covered with bodies- some charred, some whole and others dismembered- transport wreckages and craters, and the survivors finally sit down in exhaustion and relief. "Appeasement: That was not too disappointing Master. Some targets actually got close enough to receive warranted attention." HK states. Kallig hums in agreement, "It wasn't too bad. No Force Sensitives to contend with besides Morrhage, but it was enough to actually make me put some effort in."

"You must be mad… If it wasn't for your forces getting here in time, we would have been overrun, regardless of strength in the Force, this was almost suicide!" Marr almost shouts. "Oh please, if you think I'm mad now, you should meet my other personality." Kallig casually remarks and smirks before adding, "Also, did you really think I would have just cut them all down with my lightsaber? If your will is strong enough and your affinity in the Force strong enough, as Sith teaching tells us, the Force is our weapon. I have decimated squadrons before just by large surges of Force energy, trust me- I always have a contingency plan. And with the three of us here," she nods towards Scourge, "We could have easily wiped out the first wave of troops with a large enough Force Wave. You have not see war like we have Marr. You have much to learn of the old ways. It seems a lot has been lost over the centuries…. No wars or interactions with other challenging Force adepts like Jedi to keep you on your toes… Which is my fault I suppose, and a part of me does regret that the Empire and the Sith Order had to be kept in the shadows for so long." Kallig admits. She turns to Scourge and asks "How do you feel _Darth_ Scourge?" If looks could kill, Kallig would already be dead with the glare given her way. "I am no Darth. Never cared for the title, you should know that. I was the Emperor's Wrath for a time and that cost me much too high a price. That was more Morrhage's influence, which I was foolish enough to allow." Scourge growls, looking away from both Marrvisas and Kallig. Xanthe could tell there was more to this than Scourge was saying, after all, he was worthy of being the Emperor's Wrath. Curiously, she asks even though she already knew the answer, "You did interact with the ghost on Malachor didn't you?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"What did he offer you in order for you to let your guard down and be so easily used as a vessel and be manipulated by him? I know you Scourge… Being the Emperor's Wrath is not an easy feat and what the Emperor did to you to ensure loyalty and to prolong your life, as well as everything we both went through after the events of Vitiate on Ziost and with the events on Zakuul, shrugging off a pesky disgruntled Sith Spirit should not have been an issue."

Scourge was silent for a few moments and looked away before taking a breath. "I… Marr and the other Sith are not the only ones, softened by the lack of war." Kallig could feel the shame and anger radiating off him, ' _which in a way was a good thing'_ Kallig thought to herself as she observed that he was experiencing more emotion lately than he had during the Galactic Civil War. ' _I guess Vitiate's ritual is finally wearing off.'_ Kallig's thought were interrupted as Scourge continued, " I have not felt real emotion in so long, and I cannot die yet. He offered me a chance to feel something again. He claimed he could undo the ritual Vitiate performed on me. I was foolish and I accepted his offer. I did not anticipate his betrayal. As a Sith, I should have known better." Scourge admitted gritting his teeth as he said the last few words. Kallig looks at Scourge, thinking how best to respond to his admission and puts her hand up to stop any comment Marr was about to voice. "Do you serve the Empire Scourge?"

"Of course."

"Do you care for the existence of the Sith Order?"

"I would not have done all this if I did not care for the Empire or our Order."

"What does the Sith Empire mean to you Scourge?"  
"It is everything to me. Now that Vitiate is gone, there is a future, the galaxy will not die. I serve the Empire and I will fight for its existence and the preservation of the Sith until my dying breath."

Satisfied with his answer, Kallig turns to Marr and states "Well, that sounds good enough to me. Do you have any issues Marr?"

"I do believe his loyalty to the Empire is true, but his weakness cannot be tolerated. He cannot sit on the council with a Darth title."

"Ah, but then, neither can I be your Empress Marr. I have my own weakness. I came back only through Scourge's insistence and my Force Visions. Now that Scourge's weakness has been made known, he can conquer it and become even more powerful. As far as his position is concerned…" She turns back to Scourge, "What do you suggest Scourge?"

"As I said, I do not truly care for Sith politics. I find it amusing on the sidelines, I do not have the tolerance for it directly. That is your domain Imperius. I am more suited for battle than council meetings."

"Very well… Would it be appropriate to say that for now, it is _Lord_ Scourge, military advisor to the Dark Council until further notice? Or to avoid suspicion, to use the term _Darth_ in name only?" She asks Marr. Marr looks at Scourge and replies, "Military advisor to the Dark Council is…. Acceptable. Lord, fine. Darth…" She sighs. "I suppose there are other Sith that have become Darths with less backbone, however their lifespans have also been quite short. You may keep the Darth title Scourge, and as per your wish, you are no longer a member of the Dark Council."

"There we are. All sorted. I assume everyone is happy now?" Kallig asks and doesn't wait for a response before continuing, "Now, let us rendezvous with the others. I will send the other Councillors and Imperials the coordinates to the ruins of the Sith Academy. My forces are already aware and should have already secured the area."

Xanthe starts walking in the direction of the Sith Academy accompanied by HK and the loyal warrior Sith pureblood survivors. She doesn't bother to turn around to confirm if Marr, Scourge and the Imperials are actually following, because, _'Eventually,'_ she thinks to herself _, 'they will have to make their way there.'_ As she's walking, she senses a familiar presence. She stops, trying to get a better reading on it and realises the presence is getting stronger quite rapidly like as if...

"They're flying here?" Xanthe mutters out loud. "Query: Master, is everything alright? Is it one of your Force premonitions, or is there a meatbag you need eliminated? Oh! Perhaps there are First Order survivors that need to be eradicated? Please say yes Master." HK begs. "No HK, I just felt a familiar presence, but I can't put my… finger… on…" she trails off as she finally realises who that Force signature belongs to. She lifts her head up and sighs, and all that HK and the others accompanying Kallig can hear is her saying…

"You have got to be kidding me!"


	11. Chapter 11

"You have got to be kidding me!" Xanthe shouts out loud, clearly exasperated. "Of course I should've expected something like this. Sometimes I wonder if the Force really hates me…" she groans.

"Statement: Nothing appears on my scanners. Everything seems secure. Do you need me to run a diagnostic on you Master?"

"No HK. I can sense a presence in the Force and it goes further than your scanners."

"Query: What do you sense Master?"

Xanthe turns around, seeing Scourge looking at her curiously, faces HK and answers, "The problem is, is that _she_ is coming here."

"Master? She? You mean the meatbag Rey?"

"Yes, the one and only." Xanthe sighs.

Marr steps forward and asks the most obvious question- "Who is "Rey"?" Scourge turns to Marr and replies, "A potential and aspiring apprentice to Imperius."

"Scourge!" Imperius yells out in annoyance. "No to both of you- she is not aspiring to be neither an acolyte or apprentice to me. She will be the future of the Jedi- whether she likes it or not." and angrily storms off towards the ruins. Marr looks at Scourge who shrugs with a slight smirk before following Imperius into the ruins.

By the time the Sith Lords entered the ruins, Thanaton squad had already set up camp, discussing the layout with the Sith Purebloods and Kassai already present.

"My Lords" the commander of Thanaton squad greets them with a slight bow. "Commander Revel." Marr responds, acknowledging him with a slight nod. Kallig turns to Scourge and asks, "...Did she say Revel?"

"Yes I did." Marr responds instead. "And yes, from the background check I did on him and from the information provided by Lord Scourge, he is a descendant of Andronikos Revel, the Republic turned pirate that once served and travelled with you. Apparently many of his descendants have been either involved in the Imperial Army mainly special forces or as saboteurs for Imperial Intelligence. A few have been less involved as supply traders."

Kallig blinks in surprise under her mask, "... I see." Turning to the Commander of Thanaton squad, she states, "Your ancestor would be proud of your achievements, as am I. Especially on this day. This glorious day that the First Order was defeated and our Empire finally restored to its proper place in the galaxy."

"I… Thank You my Lord. I have great pride for my family name and the history it holds. Fighting alongside Darth Marr, Lord Scourge and you- Darth Imperius- in the Battle of Korriban and defeating the First Order is my greatest honour. I now understand why Andronikos followed you so long ago." Commander Revel responds along with a salute. Kallig returns the salute and excuses herself.

Motioning Scourge aside- with HK in tow- Kallig sighs. "Rey is on her way here and I also have a descendant of Andronikos here. Next thing I know, there will be a Talos Drellik descendant here as part of the Imperial Reclamation Service!"

"Well…" Scourge began, "He did have a family if you recall. And yes, his descendants still exist. Some are in the military…" He pauses, eyeing Kallig, "...In the Imperial Reclamation Service," Kallig groans, "...But," Scourge continues, "Others have become decorated officers and Moffs, while some have become Sith in their own right as well."

"What? Really?" Kallig exclaims with surprise evident in her voice. "He has Sith descendants… I must say I am quite impressed."

As Kallig was about to comment further, she feels a strong presence in the Force again. Sighing, she states, "Rey is almost here. Best that she does not get fired on." she comments as she walks to Marr. "Darth Marr, there will be a small outdated vessel- not of the First Order- arriving shortly. Please advise the fleet not to engage. I will send coordinates of an appropriate landing spot for it."

"Very well Imperius."

' _I don't know what this… what this pull is towards this hidden world. I've never felt the Force call to me like this before. Is the Force trying to tell me something?'_ Rey thinks to herself. As she gets closer to wherever she instinctively knows to go, she notices the astrochart starting to update itself with the data of the system she just entered, when she feels a presence in the Force. It is a familiar presence, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. ' _It isn't Skywalker… It isn't Kylo Ren or General Organa…?'_ The answer presented itself, when she saw the name of the system she had entered _:_

 _Esstran Sector:_

 _-Horuset System_

 _-Nearest habitable planet: Moriband_

 _-Other known names: Pesegam, Korriban_

"Korriban?" Rey mutters to herself, "I'm sure Xanthe said she was going to Korriban… I wonder if she's already here?" Immediately her comm alarms, notifying her of an incoming call, ' _as if the Force is listening and providing me with a response'_ she thinks to herself amusingly. "This is the captain of the Millenium Falcon, I am here only for exploratory reasons. To whom am I speaking to?"

"Exploratory reasons hmm? You know it is rude not to introduce yourself when being hailed. Saying you're the captain of a ship is not really enough of a form of identification. Usually a name would suffice. Captain Rey would have been better, although it doesn't have as much as a ring to it as Jedi Master Rey I suppose."

"Xanthe? Is that you?" Rey asks with a slight laugh and a faint smile on her face, which slowly fades as she sees Star Destroyers orbiting the planet. "There are-"

"Yes I know." Xanthe interrupts. "I have already notified them of your arrival. All you have to do is hail them and tell them I have given you clearance to land, and it would help if you introduce yourself as Rey, Captain of the Millenium Falcon, ally of Lord Kallig. I'm sending coordinates now."

"Do I really have to say all that?"

"We may have been given a bad reputation by the Republic's historic accounts and perhaps our ways are more… harsh than theirs were, but unlike the Republic and the Resistance, we still hold etiquette in high regard."

"... I see." Rey opens her mouth to comment, but thinks better of it and closes her mouth and just shakes her head and drops it and instead replies with "I have received your coordinates, I will hail your fleet and… introduce myself properly." With a faint smile reemerging, she adds, "I look forward to meeting up with you Xanthe."

"As do I Rey. See you soon." and with that, Xanthe cuts off communications.

Sighing, Rey follows Xanthe's instructions and hails the fleet. After a few moments it is answered by Moff Carsen. She introduces herself the way she was told by Xanthe.

"Ah I told to expect a young female ally in an...outdated ship. I have seen outdated, but yours… Well, you must be quite a talented pilot and engineer to have it still flying. Due to the harsh atmosphere of Korriban, we can escort you to another more appropriate ship to take to the surface if you wish?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I can get there myself. This ship has seen many battles, I'm sure one landing will not be an issue."

"I encourage you to reconsider. To be perfectly honest, I do not want to risk Darth Imperius' wrath upon me if something unfortunate should happen to you."

"I have flown and survived against the First Order. She knows me to be a competent pilot. Don't worry, you will not be held responsible."

"...Very well. Will you at least allow us to provide you with an escort to the surface just in case?"

Rey sighs. "Fine. You may provide your escort. Thank you for your hospitality."

"The pleasure is all mine. Any ally of Darth Imperius, is an ally of mine. I hope to meet you in person in the near future. You may proceed." Moff Carsen replies, ending the transmission. Rey sees about five TIE-looking fighters heading her way, ' _They must be the welcoming party.'_ she thinks to herself and allows her ship to be guided to the surface.

Meanwhile inside one of the Sith Temples on the planet's surface, Xanthe is pacing up and down the perimeter of the base set up by Thanaton squad. Marr looks on slightly confused and Scourge just observes with his arms crossed with a smirk on his face. Eventually HK breaks the silence.

"Observation: Master, I have counted you pacing the same path about 57 times. Do you require a diagnostic Master?" Scourge could barely contain a snort, causing Kallig to stop pacing immediately, glaring at both of them. "Imperius, you seem... on edge. Is there something I should be aware of?" Marr asks. Scourge shakes his head and chuckles. "No Marr, she needs to spar to help rid her of her… anxiety."

"I will shove my lightsaber down your throat Scourge if you continue talking." Kallig growls. "...Is this about the one called Rey? Why are you nervous about the Jedi initiate?" Marr asks. "I am not nervous!" Imperius shouts. She takes a deep breath and continues albeit more calmly, "I have not seen her in quite some time and I am hoping that there will be no issues with the fleet. That is all."

"I assure you Imperius, the fleet will act accordingly and she will be escorted her promptly. In the meantime, you can either spar with Scourge, or show me around this particular Sith Temple."

Imperius looks at Scourge wanting nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face, but remembers that Rey is on her way and Rey seeing her frying Scourge to a crisp is probably not the best idea. Sighing, she turns to Marr and replies, " Very well. I will show you around this temple until she arrives." And leads Marr down one of the corridors.

Eventually, Rey arrives to the coordinates given by Xanthe. She thanks the TIE pilots and watches them go back to the fleet before unbuckling herself and making her way to the ramp exiting the Millennium Falcon, only to be greeted by- "Salutations: Ah meatbag Rey! It is a pleasure to see you again. My Master is eager to see you."

Rey chuckles, " It is a pleasure to see you too HK. I hope sand hasn't gotten inside your joints?"

"No. Master made sure that all gaps were sealed prior to landing."

" I am glad to hear it." Rey replies. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turns to see a large humanoid male with red skin and no hair, arms crossed and with a small smirk on his face. "Welcome to Korriban Rey." He welcomes her with a bow. "We have briefly met before. I am Lord Scourge."

"You're a... Sith pureblood?"

"Indeed I am. Come. Let's not keep Darth Imperius waiting."

As Marr and Kallig were returning from a tour of the temple, Kallig could see Scourge, HK and Rey walking in. Picking up the pace slightly, she hurries over to Rey and pulls her into an embrace. Rey is slightly surprised, but returns the embrace. "I… I'm sorry Rey. I guess I missed you more than I realised." Xanthe chuckles. "That's alright. I missed you too." Rey replies. "I'm afraid I have bad news. Master Skywalker is no longer with us."

"Yes I know. I felt him become one with the Force. Oh, as you know that is Lord Scourge, and this individual over here is Darth Marr, leader of the Sith and Imperial forces- Commander in chief if you will. Bowing her head, Marr greets her with, " Pleasure to meet you Rey."

"Likewise Darth Marr." Rey replies. Turning back to Imperius, she states, "I felt a pull in the Force and it led me here. I don't know if it was trying to lead me to you or to the planet?"

"Hmmm…" Imperius ponders. " I am more inclined to believe it was the call of Korriban. All of us felt it too. We just need to figure out why the call of Korriban came to you also. Since you're here, I can give you a tour of the temple- or what's left of it until the others arrive. Allow me to ask one of the troops about a few things and then we can be on our way."

Rey nods in response as Imperius walks away.

As Rey turns around, she bumps into someone. "Oh, my apologies." As Rey regains her footing, she sees another human female with a robe and a hood over her head, but what looks to be armour underneath. "Oh, you're not Imperial are you?" The robed figure asks. "No, I'm here as a guest of Darth Imperius. You're wearing a robe… Are you Sith?" Rey asks. She lifts up her hood, looking straight at her, with glowing yellow eyes. "Yes, I most certainly am. It has been a long time since I have set foot on Korriban. I wasn't aware Imperius had any friends other than Scourge lately. Regardless, I am glad to hear it. Anyway, I must be off. Farewell."

"Wait, who are you? Don't you want to speak to Imperius?"

"I have tried, but she is too stubborn to listen. I am hoping she will listen to you instead. I hope Korriban will help, but she is a stubborn one. You can call me Kelsa Jen Chataris."

"...So Lord Chataris?"

" Please no. Just Kelsa. Or Lana I suppose. You will find there are many in the Empire with their first name being Lana in honour of the one that helped Imperius get to where she is today." She turns, seeing Imperius finishing her conversation with the trooper. "Well Rey, I must be off, I have many things to do. Please be there for her if possible. She has no one else. Well other than her droid I suppose."

"Unfortunately, she won't listen to anything I would say. I wanted to join her and she flat out refused."

"Of course she did. She feels it was for your own protection. Like she did for her sister Cora."

"Wait…. She had a sister?"

"Yes, a Jedi. She was a great Jedi Master and hero of the Republic during the war… I… think it will be best if she tells you about her."

Rey looks at her suspiciously. "...Who are you really?"

" I told you. I am a Lord of the Sith and an advisor to the Council."

"And what do I tell her if she asks how I found out about her sister?"

"Tell her that the Council's advisor sends her regards l and firstly, I still think Laniko sounds ridiculous and secondly, that even after all this time, unlike me, it seems she still struggles with the art of mediation... She once said that I'm a natural with meditation." Kelsa commented with a small smile. " Farewell Rey. Remember, the call of Korriban is strong. Always remember who you are and never lose sight of that. May the Force ever serve you well." She finishes with a slight bow, replaces the hood back on her head and walks out of the temple.

As Imperius walks back to Rey, she sees her talking to a hooded individual. ' _Must be another Sith Lord introducing themselves.'_ she thinks to herself. As she approaches Rey, she sees her looking in the direction the hooded figure had left. She waits a moment behind Rey, slightly amused, deciding if she should or shouldn't make her presence known. She leans towards her shoulder and right next to her ear she asks, "So… Who was that?"

Rey jumps startled, with a slightly panicked look on her face before morphing into annoyance. "Stars! Are you trying to bloody scare me to death!?" Rey yells.

Xanthe just laughs in response which only agitated Rey more. "Oh you find this funny do you? Perhaps I'll just leave. I know the Resistance needs my help and you refuse to train me in anything so I don't even know why the Force made me come here." she huffs and starts to walk away when Xanthe quickly reaches out and grabs her arm. "Hey, hey, hey… I am sorry. I couldn't resist that's all. It's been a while since I had someone to muck around with. I will behave myself… I am a Dark Councillor after all I suppose." Xanthe comments with a shrug and a slight smile. "I noticed another Sith introducing themselves to you. You have gotten quite popular… for one who is not Sith."

"Yes, she said she knows you personally actually."

"Oh? Is that so? I didn't realise the other council members were already here."

"No… She said she's an advisor to the Dark Council."

"Advisor?" Xanthe asks in confusion, "We-" Xanthe is interrupted by HK, announcing excitedly "Observation: Master! I have just noticed that there is an opening to the tombs underneath that was not there last time. Would you like me to investigate?"

"No HK. That is fine. I will go myself." Turning to Rey, she asks, "Would you like to go on that tour now? We might be lucky and find some artifacts."

"I… alright. Would there be teaching of the Sith down there?"

"Possibly. Unlike Jedi, most Sith are entombed and usually with things as part of their legacy… weapons, items, books… sometimes if you're lucky, even holocrons."

"What is a holocron?"

Xanthe grins. "You'll see. Let's go."


	12. Chapter 12

"Which temple is this?" Rey asks. "Well… it's not a temple exactly… it's a Sith tomb. Not any Sith tomb, but that of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow."

"I assume this person is important?"

Xanthe stops walking with a thoughtful look on her face. "You could say that. He was a powerful Sith. Very ambitious- as many Sith are. Don't let the size of this structure fool you… Many Sith are housed in large structures like this one. It just depends how many friends they had and how much influence they had at the time. My ancestor- Lord Kallig had influence… He was powerful, but was assassinated by the one he admired and trusted the most and instead of a grand tomb, his legacy was destroyed. His family… some were killed, some went into hiding and whoever was left was reduced to slavery." Xanthe paused, turning to Rey, "Until me of course." She concluded as she started walking again.

They continued walking in silence until they reached the sarcophagus of Naga Sadow. "Normally these tombs have traps, but I cleared this one out years ago. Well… Mostly." Xanthe comments sheepishly. "Someone has definitely been here since my last made another entry point. I'm impressed with whoever it was that made it this far. The fact that there are no bodies here means they also made it back out alive…" She closely surveys everything in the room, "Surprisingly, they didn't take anything I purposely left behind. Most unusual." She concludes.

As Rey was walking around curiously observing everything in the room, she suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling. The closer she walked to a certain part of the room, the more unsettled she became. Frowning, she turns to Xanthe, "Is this feeling... normal?" Looking back puzzled, Xanthe asks "What do you mean by unsettled?"

"I'm not sure… I mean I felt the Dark Side when stepping foot onto the planet and even more so in this building, but as I'm walking around in this room, at certain points, it isn't just the Force I feel. It feels more...sinister, more concentrated. I don't know, but whatever it is, it's very unsettling and it's starting to get me…" Rey trails off, trying to think of an appropriate word. "... Agitated perhaps?" Xanthe supplies. Rey nods, "Yes, I guess so. Yeah, agitated."

Xanthe hums thoughtfully, "I have been exposed to the Dark Side for so long that I forget that others sense and feel things differently. As Sith, we are exposed to the Dark Side from the very beginning, so if anything, the Light Side for many seems foreign or strange and some even feel unsettled by its… I guess, calmer nature. I forget that the Force is a new concept for you and of course, you have only been shown how to use the Light although you can as easily access the Dark without giving in to your emotions which is rare and something I would like to explore further in the future, so of course what you feel in this tomb would be quite intense… the feel of power, anger, pain, fear, rage, also depending on the Sith, feelings of passion and revenge and perhaps a bone chilling coldness as well…I guess you could call it the feeling of death. This, you will feel all over Korriban." As soon as Xanthe finished her explanation, her comm starts beeping. "Yes?"

"Apologetic: Sorry master, Darth Marr has asked if you can come back to base for debriefing."

"That's ok HK. I will be back shortly."

"Very well master. Oh, were there any meatbags there?"

"No… nothing here, not even a body."

"Disappointment: How unfortunate. Pity."

Xanthe chuckles. "Yes, I know." And with that, disconnects the call. Sighing, she turns to Rey. "Time to go."

"Yes, it might be for the best. This place is starting to become quite uncomfortable. Especially towards that area." Rey gestures with her hands, pointing to the area in question. Xanthe stays silent for a moment, contemplates a possibility then replies, "Alright then, lead the way Rey, I will follow in a moment." In Xanthe's opinion, it seemed Rey couldn't get out of there fast enough, which put a small amused grin on her face. Recovering quickly, she made her way over to the area Rey was so afraid of. She stretched out with the Force… feeling nothing but the usual traits of the Dark Side, although…. There was something slightly, _slightly_ familiar amongst it all. As she was turning around to leave the tomb, something caught her eye. Something small, black and reflective, wedged in between some of the rubble there. Upon closer inspection, she realised it was a holocron. _"Looks like there was one after all."_ Xanthe mused.

In her hands, she could feel the power of the Dark Side radiating from it. But she could also feel something familiar from it also. Familiar, but not unsettling as Rey had felt. She wondered if this is what she sensed. Brushing off those thoughts for now, she placed the holocron under her robes and made her way to meet Rey and attend the debriefing.

"Ah, you finally made it. We are honoured you graced us with your presence Imperius." Marr greets sarcastically. "Please Marr. Sarcasm doesn't suit you." Imperius replies, ushering Rey into a suitable spot in the room the Sith councillors were gathered in.

"I don't see the need to have the Force adept in the room if you have made it clear she will not be joining the ranks of the Sith?" Marr asks while eying Rey. "It does not matter Marr. For one, she does not have any interest in our affairs, two, she is here as a witness and guest for me and three, I prefer her here under my eye than under misinformed Imperials who may get trigger happy." Imperius replies unimpressed. Marr sighs. "It irritates me how little faith you have in our forces, but very well, I will respect your wishes."

Turning, Marr addresses the council, "Fellow councillors, we have finally fulfilled what our ancestors only dreamed of for millennia. We have reclaimed Korriban. Now we must decide what our next step is. Any thoughts?"

Silence filled the room for a few moments until Darth Chrysis broke it with a sigh. "As you know Marr, I am head of Sith Philosophy. Korriban is the birthplace of the Sith and for a time, also the final resting place of many great Sith. This world is like an artifact in itself. So much frozen in time. This place is where our society was formed, where our lore and our Sith Code was born. This world is full of tombs, temples, artifacts… relics… Who knows how much is still left undiscovered. I for one would want to see the final resting place of the great Tulak Hord myself and any secrets his tomb may hold. I personally believe this world is of most significance to myself, Darth Necron and of course Darth Imperius, with our roles of Sphere of Sith Philosophy, Mysteries and Ancient Knowledge, respectively."

"True, but this world must also be protected. This world has been targeted by the Jedi and the Republic on many occasions, by the Eternal Empire and maybe again by the First Order as well. Especially if we intend to make Korriban our stronghold or new capital-" Darth Occulus states before being interrupted by Darth Imperius, "Yes, I do agree that Korriban must be protected. It is our most sacred world after all. I apologise Occulus, but I did not want you to waste your words."

Turning and looking at all councillors, Imperius continues, "Korriban was never the capital of the Sith Empire that I grew up in. In the past, Ziost was the capital, and then after the Great Hyperspace War with the Republic, Lord Vitiate made Dromund Kaas the new homeworld and the new capital of the Sith Empire. Korriban had an academy where all successful acolytes became Sith.

I prefer Korriban to retain that role as a place of learning and continuing to be the birthplace of Sith rather than a main powerbase. It was a haven for those of the Reclamation Service, as this world is full of mysteries and historical artifacts.

I agree with Chrysis- there are still many secrets left on this world, many things left to discover."

"Hmm… I suppose I do agree with Imperius on this one Occulus. Also, this world is too barren to support such a large population, I feel that this world as the training ground for Sith and," Darth Severin pauses, briefly glancing at Darth Necron, "-For mystical and archeological purposes is more suitable. I do strongly insist that this world still be well fortified regardless."

"Agreed." Marr nods. "I think this world should still have Imperial bases and be a powerbase of sorts but definitely not a homeworld. Due to the location, to have our capital at Pion may not be practical. We may have to find another world to make as our main capital- our main stronghold. As far as Korriban is concerned, this world is the most precious of the Empire and must be treated as such. Your thoughts Imperius?"

"I agree Marr. Korriban needs to have a strong military presence. This world has had many bases in the past and many Sith have lived here including Dark Councillors. If a new capital needs to be established, I would recommend Ziost or Dromund Kaas, but that is another discussion for another day. For now, I recommend we get started in setting planetary defences and making sure there are no surprises from the First Order."

"Any objections fellow councillors?" Marr asks only to be met with silence. "Good. Then it is settled. An Academy will be re-established here along with Imperial bases and planetary defences. Darth Nicene, send world to Pion to send ships and resources to Korriban."

"Very well Marr." Darth Nicene replies with a nod. "Council session is over. We will reconvene once our supplies arrive from Pion." All councillors bow and leave the room including Marr. Leaving only Imperius, Rey and Scourge. As Scourge looks at Rey, his face turns into one of concern. He can tell she doesn't look well, her face is pale and she is starting to sweat. He can feel discomfort and fear radiating from her. He looks at Imperius and decides it would be best to leave the two alone. ' _Perhaps she is right. With her reactions here, maybe the girl does not have what it takes to be one with the Dark Side and become Sith.'_ Scourge thinks to himself as he leaves the room.

As Imperius turns to Rey, she can tell something is wrong. "You're all pale! What's wrong?"

"I don't know Xanthe. The feeling I had in the tomb had somewhat gone, but as soon as the meeting started, I felt the presence again, but much stronger. It took everything I had not to run or throw up in here."

Under her mask, Xanthe frowns. ' _I wonder if it's the holocron? But why would it affect her so badly. This holocron feels like any other dark side infused holocron.'_ Xanthe thinks to herself. She decides to take the holocron out and presents it to Rey.

"Rey, this is a holocron. I found it in the tomb. I believe this to be the cause of your discomfort so I will place it somewhere where it won't affect you. I wanted you to be able to at least see one before leaving this world."

Rey looks at it in wonder, trying to push through the discomfort. She can see a faint reddish and purplish glow emanating from the smooth and shiny obsidian pyramid in Imperius' hand. "What is in the holocron?" Rey asks. "Knowledge. Secrets. Techniques. Perhaps even lies, depending on what sadistic Sith Lord created it." Imperius replies with a grin. "But for now, I will put it somewhere for safekeeping. Let's go back to the ship so you can rest."

As Rey settles for a nap in one of the cabins, Imperius places the holocron in her fortified safe, that also has Force nullifying agents in it, just in case. ' _That should fix the problem for now. But I wonder why this affected her so much? She had no problem landing here or speaking to Marr or Scourge, or even tapping into the Dark Side when she was with Skywalker?'_ Imperius thinks to herself. "She can't stay here. That much is clear now." she sighs to herself. "What will you do master?" HK asks. "I'll wait until she wakes up and tell her to head back to the Resistance. There's nothing for her here." Imperius replies.

As Rey wakes up she can sense something is off, ' _But at least I don't feel that cold twisting feeling in my stomach anymore.'_ she says in relief. She bumps into HK as she leaves her cabin. "Oh, hello HK."

"Ah, greetings meatbag Rey! My Master has been waiting for you."

"Oh good. Where is she?"

"She is attempting meditation again in her quarters. She has always had difficulty with centering herself. She had improved greatly with the assistance of Master La-, ahem, her advisor. After she left, whenever she attempted it on her own she always seemed to be more grumpy after meditation. She did seem to perform better when you had accompanied her. Perhaps she only needs company for meditation?"

"Her advisor? When I mentioned an advisor earlier, she looked confused, as if she had no idea what I was talking about."

"Hmm… That is most odd. She most certainly had an advisor. For many years in fact. I will attempt to perform a diagnostic on my Master's memory later. Ah, her we are. You can go in."

Rey opens the door to Xanthe's cabin and sees her sitting crossed legged on the floor with purple Force energy circling and pulsing around her. At times it almost seems calm, then it becomes turbulent, with red Force energy emanating from her, surrounding her, absorbing the purple energies and then being reabsorbed back into herself.

She can see her panting, trembling, frowning, at times also peaceful, but as soon as the moment comes it is lost again and she once again responds with a grimace, until Rey asks if she is alright and she snaps out of the trance, covered in sweat and panting slightly, perplexed to see Rey in the room. "Sorry, HK said it was ok for me to come in. He also said you had trouble with meditation. You didn't seem to have this problem when you were teaching me."

"Yes well, teaching is one thing, what I attempt in my quarters is another." Xanthe bit back. She then sighs, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I just have trouble with centering myself that's all."

"Yeah, HK mentioned that and that your advisor used to help you with that."

Xanthe let out a bitter laugh, "Yeah… My advisor." Turning to Rey, she feels slightly sad for what she is about to say but it has to be done. "Rey. I believe it will be best for you to leave this place and go back to the Resistance."

Rey looks at her in surprise, "What? Why?!" she demands. "Because you can't handle this place. You won't be able to handle the trials of the Sith. It will destroy you. You are not experienced enough nor trained enough in the Force to handle the path in which I walk. You must become a Jedi and help your friends against the First Order and Kylo Ren."

"But the Force called me here! You know it did."

"Yes I do, but I saw what happened between you and the holocron. You cannot stay here."

"You don't control me!"

"I am only trying to help you and protect you."

"You can't tell me what I can or can't do! I don't need protection! I'm not your sister Cora!" Rey yells out. Xanthe looks on in shock. "...What did you say?"

"I said I don't need your protection."

"No… you know very well what I meant Rey." Xanthe says lowly. "Who. Did. You. Say?"

"Your sister. Cora." Rey replies calmly. Xanthe takes a deep breath trying to stay calm and asks, "Who told you about Cora?"

"A Sith Lord who said she knew you and was an advisor to members of the Dark Council. She told me that she was a Jedi and that everything you did was for her protection."

"No one alive save Scourge and HK are aware of her and her identity. And you called her Cora… Not Chrysi." Xanthe states thoughtfully and narrowing her eyes at Rey she asks, "What was the name of this... Advisor?"

"Kelsa. Kelsa Chataris? No, Kelsa Jen Chataris."

"Chataris? I don't know anyone with that name? What did she look like? Was she wearing a mask?"

"No…" Rey pauses, trying to remember all the details. "She had her hood up most of the time. She spoke very politely, same accent as you and I, blonde hair tied up from what I could tell and yellow eyes."

"Hmm… Many Sith have yellow eyes. It is a common feature for those who use the Dark Side of the Force." Xanthe sighs and starts pacing back and forth. "Kelsa… I haven't met any Imperial or Sith with that name. I wonder, why did this Sith mention Cora?"

"She told me that you shouldn't do everything on your own and asked me to help. I told her that you wouldn't let me and wanted me to follow a Jedi's path. That's when she mentioned that you're trying to protect me like you tried to protect your sister Cora. She then told me that I should ask you about her."

"My sister...She is another story for another time. But for this Sith to know that much...Kelsa Jen Chataris… Jen Chataris… wait." Xanthe thinks hard to herself. The word Chataris sounded awfully familiar. _'If I pronounce it differently…'_ Xanthe's eyes widen in realisation. "Jen Chataris or rather, if pronounced as _Jen Chataris,_ " Xanthe repeats with an accent, "Are Sith words, which translate to…" she felt a sick feeling in her stomach. "...Dark Advisor."

"So you mean to tell me that the name she gave me is a fake name or a title, because she told me she doesn't use titles?" Rey asks. As soon as Xanthe heard that, immediately she remembered a certain advisor's words, _"Titles mean nothing to me."_

Followed by a memory from Rakata Prime…

" _Kelsa Laniko?" Are you sure that's wise?" Lana asked with a grimace. "Why not? Kelsa was your mother's name and "Laniko" is a nice mash up of your name- Lana Beniko." Kallig replied, grinning proudly. Lana sighed, "Yes, but Laniko? Really? It is too obvious. They would suspect immediately."_

 _Kallig waves her hands excitedly and explains, "Ah, exactly! That is the idea! If it is too obvious then they wouldn't expect it to be real, as you wouldn't do something as obvious or foolish as to have such an obvious sounding alias now would you?"_

 _Lana puts a hand to her head, starting to feel a headache coming on. "I… I guess you have a point. It could work and throw them off." Seeing the hopeful look on Xanthe's face, Lana relents. "Alright." She sighs, "For now, I will go by that alias, until we can uncover the Revanite plot. Just make sure you don't contact me unless absolutely necessary. I don't want you to become a target as well."_

 _"Very well Lana. At least I won't forget your alias. Maybe when all this is over, I can grant you the title of Darth Laniko."_

 _"Oh you!"_

Coming back to the present, Xanthe focuses on Rey, " There would be one person that would use a name like that, she also had blonde hair and yellow eyes, but she is dead." Xanthe says softly. "And I take it you weren't speaking to a ghost?"

"No? She seemed as real as you and me? She did seem annoyed with you though. She said you're too stubborn and won't let anyone help you or let her try to help you. She wanted me to tell you not to do the same with me. Oh, she also said I could call her Lana, as many Sith were given that name in honour of someone who worked with you."

Xanthe looked at Rey, eyes widening in surprise. "She said that?"

"Yes. Who is Lana?"

"Lana… Was a dear friend and helped me save the galaxy and the Empire. She was also an advisor to Darth Arkous in the Dark Council and later, to me as well." Xanthe shakes her head. "Nevermind. You need to leave with your books and become a Jedi. Take the Millennium Falcon and go."

"What? No!" Rey yells out. "Don't you get it? The Force drew me here, HK wants me around, other Sith see potential in me, a Sith Lord that seems to know a lot about you- and didn't seem to be a ghost is telling me not to leave you, Skywalker is dead, there is no one left to show me the ways of the Force. Books can only tell you so much. Surely you can understand? If you had no master and all you had were texts, do you think you would have been able to survive as long as you have to become a Sith Lord?"

Xanthe looked away unable to argue with that. "I… you may be right, you may be wrong. Still, I stand by my decision. I cannot be involved in your training."

Rey sighed. "I told her that you wouldn't listen. So she told me two things that she said would get through your stubborn head. One- she thinks "Laniko" still sounds ridiculous and two- you still struggle with meditation and that you once said she was a natural at it."

To Rey's surprise, she saw Xanthe's face turn the most pale she'd ever seen. She wondered if she was going to pass out. " Xanthe? Are you alright?"

Xanthe startled to tremble and started shaking her head muttering to herself. "No… no, no, no impossible…. Impossible."

"Xanthe!" Rey yells out snapping her out of her trance. Xanthe looks at Rey so lost and pitiful that she couldn't help but wonder who was this "advisor" that caused such a reaction in her. "Xanthe. She told me that you shouldn't be alone and not to push me away, but she didn't say I should be trained as a Sith. She did mention how your sister was trained as a Jedi after all." Rey gently stated.

Xanthe stares at Rey until realisation dawned on her. "No Jedi left… Only texts. Can easily tap into the Dark Side, surrounded by Sith, cannot handle the presence in the tombs…Yoda and Lana both make their presence known..." Xanthe says more to herself than Rey. "...I think I know what to do. I will try to meditate again and see if it confirms my suspicions, but I am right, then I am a fool for not thinking of it sooner."

Turning to Rey, "You can join me for meditation if you wish." She offers, then activating her comm she summons HK. "HK, begin preparations. We're going to leave Korriban."

Settling down and gesturing Rey to do the same, they both settled into their own respective meditation trances and the last thing Xanthe noticed before being swept up in the different things the Force was trying to show her, was how much more at peace she was with Rey's presence there. _'Perhaps HK was right.'_ was the last thought she had before becoming fully immersed in her trace. Rey on the other hand, was seeing death, pain, mocking laughter, an aged face with glowing eyes, a man in black armour, looking more machine than human, a room of clones and experiments, a masked Jedi that turned to the Dark Side, an Exiled Jedi looking for answers, a man full of scars and cuts held together by sheer will, a man with a bone mask, speaking another language, an old and blinded hooded woman… and many others. Each one expressing a different emotion- one guilt, another, sadistic glee, anger, sadness, despair, hunger, hatred, revenge and fear. The masked Jedi turns to Rey and tells her "Be careful Rey. The darkness here can consume you if you are not prepared. The only way for you to withstand it is it you master both the light and the dark. One you find balance, you will succeed." Behind the masked Jedi, the old blinded woman takes her down her hood, her robes alternating between brown and black, her blinded eyes alternating between white and black and her lightsaber in the one hand she has left, alternating between green and purple. She looks at Rey analysing her. "Actions have consequences. Sometimes helping the weak can be a disservice to them. You deprive them the opportunity to grow and become strong on their own as you have. But also remember and remind the Sith you travel with… Apathy is death." The old lady warns. The man in black armour nods in agreement. However, the one with an aged and withered face and glowing eyes screams out in anger and reaches for Rey-

Immediately Rey's eyes snap open, breaking the meditation trance. Panting heavily, Rey looks up to see Xanthe looking at her in concern. "Are you alright? What did you see?"

"I saw… Many different things… I saw temples, tombs, laboratories, ships… I saw Jedi, Sith, cloned people, disfigured people, people in pain. So many powerful emotions… one even spoke to me."

Xanthe looked at her in surprise and intrigue. "Really? Who was it and what did they say?"

"It was a masked Jedi I think. He had purple and red lightsabers and we were in a temple. He told me that as I was, I couldn't handle Korriban and that it would destroy me and the only way to succeed is to master both the light and the dark."

Xanthe smiled. "Sounds like you had a chat to Revan out of all people. Very unusual. However, what he told you confirmed my suspicions. I who'd have realised it sooner, after all, I kept saying the Force needs balance. I was too occupied with bringing the Empire back to its former glory that I forgot about it. Well my vision and yours confirms what I suspected. I will go and tell Marr we're leaving. Don't worry, where we're going, you will enjoy it very much." Xanthe grins. Standing up she puts on her outer robe and mask. "I'll be back soon." She tells Rey and walks out to meet the other Sith in the temple.

"What do you mean you are leaving?" Marr demands. "Exactly what I said Marr. I have more pressing issues at the moment. Korriban is ours, the First Order is distracted, I have brought reinforcements from Ziost and Dromund Kaas, so the planet is secured. Surely you don't need me to help with planetary defences… after all, you are the head of the Ministry of Military Defence?"

Marr couldn't really argue with that, so she reluctantly agreed, "Very well. Do what you need to do Darth Imperius."

"Thank you. May the Force serve you Darth Marr."

"And to you Imperius."

Imperius bows and starts walking back to the ship when Scourge starts walking with her. "So then. You had enough of Korriban?"

Imperius laughed "Of course not Scourge, but Rey won't learn anything here like this. She needs proper training."

"Oh? So where do you plan to take her?"

"The only place where she can learn how to use both sides of the Force… Where I learned how to embrace both sides of the Force."

"Hm. I have not been there in so long… More pleasant than Korriban, I almost envy you." They stop once they reached her ship. "Well, I wish you well my Lord. Say hello to Lord Beniko if you see her."

Imperius turns around in surprise and sees Scourge with a smirk on his face and amusement dancing in his eyes. Shaking her head, Imperius responds, "Well I see your emotions are improving. I suspect you were quite a pain in the buttocks before Vitiate "rewarded you". Didn't think you were the type... I must say I am pleasantly surprised. I am surprised and yet not surprised you saw her also. You have always told me to let go and move forward. Have you seen her before here?"

"Yes. Twice. Both times she had the same message and concerns regarding you. I hope now you have some motivation to actually take our advice."

Imperius smiles under her mask and Scourge could hear it in her voice when she replies, "With all that has now come to pass, yes. Yes I think I will."

"Rey, were going to leave Korriban soon!" Xanthe calls out as she enters her ship. "Finally Master! I can't wait to leave this planet, the sand is irritating my circuits. Reminiscence: Almost as bad as Tatooine… Oh what a horrible experience." HK calls out as he approaches Xanthe. "Don't worry HK. We're going to a much more pleasant world. I just need to let Rey know to get her ship ready."

"Where are we going?" Rey asks as she enters the cargo hold. "We're going to a planet that's actually located in Wild Space, so it will be quite a trip. There is someone there I would like you to meet and I'm sure she wouldn't mind the company. Make sure you bring the Jedi texts with you, I'm sure she will appreciate them."

"Is it another Sith Lord?"

Xanthe laughed. "I think she would feel offended if you called her that, but no, she isn't. She was actually instrumental in the beginning of the rebellion against the Imperial Empire. She has seen a lot." Rey eyes her wearily and reluctantly asks, "It's not Maz is it?" Xanthe shakes her head amused. "No, definitely not Maz. Anyway, go on- get to your ship, time is wasting. I will give you the coordinates once you're ready to go." Xanthe replies, shooing Rey away with her hands. "Ok, ok I'm leaving. Speak soon." Rey replies and walks off the _Fury-_ class ship making her way back to the Millennium Falcon.

When Xanthe is sure Rey is off the ship, she turns to HK, " Alright HK, have you checked everything?"

"Affirmation: Yes master. The ship is on standby, ready to leave at your command."

"Good. We can leave Korriban in the capable hands of Marr and Scourge for now. Not quite sure what to make of the rest of the council members, but at least my Moffs and their fleets performed well."

As Xanthe runs another diagnostic on the navigation system and HK has just finished sweeping the ship for bugs, trackers and stowaways, Rey hails her on the comm. "I'm ready to leave. Please send coordinates when you're ready."

"Coordinates sent. See you there. Imperius out." Xanthe says with a small grin, switching off the comms. Turning to HK she says, "Alright HK, I know it's long overdue, but I suppose better late than never. Set a course for Odessen."


	13. Chapter 13

When the planet came into view, Rey could only stare in wonder. _'So much green… Unlike everywhere else. Ahch-To was mostly ocean...'_ Rey thinks to herself. Rey's comm starts beeping, she knows it's Xanthe. "Yes Xanthe?"

"It looks beautiful from here doesn't it?"

"Yes it does. Ahch-To had hardly any land, but I can see so much… _green._ "

Xanthe laughed. "Wait until you get to the surface. You'll see much more green up close and personal."

"So I assume this is the planet?"

"Yes it most certainly is. It is called Odessen. I'll send you coordinates once we have clearance to land."

"Clearance? It doesn't look like there are any bases or cities here."

No there isn't, but it doesn't mean no one is actually living here though. And since she's a friend, I wouldn't want to be rude and come unannounced. Who knows how she will react and I'd rather not have to repair my droid or my robes again…"

Rey paused. "Did you say _again?_

"Yes. Again. I will get back in contact with you shortly."

"But-" Rey stops, noticing Xanthe had already disconnected. She sighs and waits.

It doesn't take long before she's being hailed again. "Alright Rey, just follow the coordinates I'm sending you. I will meet you there."

As Rey lands, she notices many derelict structures and wonders to herself what purpose they served. Surprisingly, the landing pad seemed to be in better upkeep than everything else. As she exits the Falcon, she sees Xanthe with a thoughtful look on her face, observing the abandoned buildings with HK standing on guard by her side.

"Xanthe? What was this place?" Rey asks. Xanthe pauses, admiring the scenery for a moment longer before replying, "It was a base of sorts. What was created here is the reason the Republic survived for as long as it did. This world- Odessen, is a nexus in the Force. A balance between light and dark. Perfect for those trying to find balance in the Force. This is where the Galactic Alliance was formed. It unified Sith and Jedi, Imperial and Republic under one banner- and it worked. We destroyed the Eternal Empire, which was more powerful than both the Empire and the Republic. My… advisor picked this planet. Heh, who would've thought a Sith would pick a world like this hmm?" She states with a sad smile.

"I keep hearing about this advisor, first from HK then on Korriban… What's with the secrecy? Who was this person?" Rey pushes. Xanthe glances at HK who says nothing and sighs. "She was a Sith Lord called Lana Beniko. As I mentioned before, she was originally an advisor to Darth Arkous of the Dark Council during my time in the Sith Empire. I met her after I was granted a seat on the council. She was assisting me and my allies against the Republic. She discovered a conspiracy threatening the Empire and ultimately the galaxy, so she helped me to stop it, helping me to kill Arkous, who she discovered was a traitor, at the cost of her own safety.

She hid until I was able to help clear her name. She was unorthodox for a Sith. Open minded, quite calm and serene… most of the time, and quite logical. She became good friends with a Republic spy, so that alone tells you that she wasn't your everyday Sith. She built this base, this organisation, while looking for me… I was frozen in carbonite for five years and she never gave up looking for me." Xanthe finishes with a shaky breath.

"So your friend Lana and the advisor is the one and same person- Lana Beniko? I take it she meant a lot to you?" Rey asks softly. Xanthe nods in response. "I owed her my life and my sanity. She's the reason we are even speaking. I probably would have turned into a monster otherwise. Anyway, we spent enough time talking. I have someone I would like you to meet. follow me." Xanthe gestures with her hand.

They walk off the landing pad onto the walkway which had been overrun by the native vegetation. Xanthe leads them through a few different corridors leading to an open space.

Rey gasps as she takes in the scenery. "This place is beautiful…" Rey remarks, observing the brown and grey cliffs, the green grass and trees wrapped around in vines, flowers in many different colours including colours Rey didn't even know could be found in nature and finally, a small waterfall, the sound she found soothing.

"This area was originally picked out by Lana for just the two of us. I later decided to allow a few people access to part of this area as it is ideal for meditation purposes. Of course there are parts that are for me only. Ah! There she is!" Xanthe clasps her hands together.

"How rude of you to be meditating here instead of greeting us at the landing pad? Nevermind, I have someone I would like you to meet. This is Rey, she is a Jedi initiate. Rey, I would like you to meet Aksoka Tano."

"A pleasure." Ahsoka bows in greeting. Turning back to Xanthe, she asks "I am surprised to see you back here this soon. She had hoped you would come back after her visit on Korriban, but I was under the impression you had a lot of work to do?"

"...So Lana has also spoken to you?"

"Yes, but not just her. Master Shan and Darth Marr...even Masters Kenobi and Yoda have come here."

"Ah, so you know why we are here then?"

"Humour me?"

"I am in no condition or position to properly teach Rey the ways of the Jedi. The Jedi Order needs to be re-established in order to create balance. Skywalker has become one with the Force, so there is no one left. As I have noticed however, Rey seems to have an affinity to both sides, making me believe that she would be better suited to learning how to be a Grey Jedi, or at least learning how to embrace both sides. You however, are the best suited, especially since you were once a Jedi." As an afterthought she adds, "Rey is also in the possession of old Jedi texts, almost as old as the Jedi Order itself."

"Really? Texts that old?" Ahsoka sighs. "You really know how to get my attention Imperius. I know there's no arguing with you because you are too stubborn and I would lose anyway." Turning to Rey, Ahsoka continues, "Alright Rey, I will teach you how to embrace and control both sides of the Force only if you want to."

"Yes!" Rey says excitedly. "I want to learn the ways of the Force. No one else was willing to train me- not Skywalker, not Xanthe…"

"Very well. Gather your belongings from your ship and I will set up a cabin for you." Ahsoka instructs. Rey nods in response and leaves. Xanthe takes that opportunity to explain a bit more to Aksoka.

"I thought Rey would be able to handle Korriban, but something happened while we were there. I was concerned by her lack of control of the Dark Side. She couldn't control her fear." She takes out the holocron which was encased in a Force nullifying frame. "This is what unnerved her the most."

Ahsoka gently picks up the holocron from Imperius' hands and takes it out from the protective frame. "Hmm… it has the same type of Dark Side energy and feeling like most other dark artifacts, although there is something familiar in the signature also."

Imperius nods. "I thought as much also. I am concerned why Rey is affected so badly by it though. That's why I thought it's best if you can help train her."

"I understand your reasoning and I agree. It will take a while though. She isn't a youngling."

"I know. I have duties in the Empire that I need to attend to, so it will be a while before I return."

"The longer, the better Imperius."

"Very well." Imperius responds with a light smile. Turning, she sees Rey coming back with some items. "Rey, I must take my leave. You are in good hands here. Follow her advice and you should be fine. It will be a while before I return. Don't worry, Ahsoka is good company. Take care of yourself."

"You too Xanthe." Rey replies, giving her a hug, which Xanthe happily returns. "May the Force be with you both." She says before she walks back to her ship.

 _1 year later…_

"Ahsoka. Do you copy?"

"Yes, I'm here. Do you and Rey have a Force bond or something? She had a feeling you were on your way hours ago?"

"I...no? Maybe it's all the training you gave her. Anyway, I am approaching the landing pad, so I will see you both soon."

"See you soon Imperius."

As Imperius leaves her ship, once again with HK in tow, she can feel a lively and powerful presence in the Force. _'Seems like Ahsoka's training paid off.'_ she muses. Immediately she sees a light blue lightsaber spinning towards her, she responds in kind with her own lightsaber, only to see the rogue saber go back into Rey's hand. "I'm glad to see you are mastering different aspects of the Force."

"Thankyou." Rey replies with a bright smile on her face. "I do have one test for you however." Imperius looks around for Ahsoka and waiting for her to get to close proximity before announcing it.

"Ahsoka, you may be needed for this." Turning back to Rey, she pulls something out from under her robe. "This will determine how well trained you are Rey." And uncovers the box to reveal the holocron from Korriban inside. "I regret to inform you, that no matter what I did, I couldn't get it to open. It has a lock of some sort."

Rey still has an uneasy feeling with that holocron that seems to be _pulsing_? But at least this time she can withstand the effects. She suddenly had an urge to touch the holocron "...I think… I know how to activate it." And reached out for it and when her hand touched it, the holocron came to life, pulsing with purple energy, and eventually displaying the image of the one who made the holocron. When the face revealed itself, Imperius' eyes went wide. _"You."_ Ahsoka said behind her.

"Ah, pleasure to see you Padawan Tano. My, how you have grown. Last I heard, I was under the impression that Lord Vader killed you. And you? Xrysi Sathor? One of my guards. You now wear Sith robes? I never realised you had Force potential? How long has it been I wonder? But the more important question is how you activated this holocron. Only one person would have what is needed to activate this holocron and neither of you have it. However… who are you?" The figure asks, looking at Rey. Rey stares back in fear. "...It couldn't be…" the figure says to himself and then laughs. "A girl. The end result is a girl! I must say you are not what I expected. You won't be the most appropriate vessel, but you will still make a worthy apprentice for my real self."

"I have seen you before." Rey states. "Who are you?"

"I, my dear child am Darth Sidious, the Emperor of the Galactic Empire." And with a grin slowly appearing on his face, he adds, "And seeing you were able to unlock this holocron, that also makes me your... family."

 **A/N: Sorry all for the rushed shorter chapter. Wanted to get the intro with Palps out there before the trailer comes out. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Just a word of warning.** It might be a little sappy for some at one point, (or maybe a couple of parts) in this chapter. It is necessary for a certain character or maybe a few characters to voice certain things and perhaps in doing so, come to some sort of... Resolution perhaps? But don't worry, I don't intend to have many more like this.

"Family? What do you mean family?" Xanthe questions before Rey could get a word in.

"This holocron can only be accessed by those containing a certain genetic sequence. In particular, my genetic sequence." Sidious responds. "But I am curious how you came to be in possession of it here and it seems you are following a Jedi's path, while you, Xrysi, are dressed more like Sith."

"We found it on Korriban. In one of the temple ruins" Rey quickly replies. Sidious' face turns serious and he is silent for a moment, the holocron processing the information. "Korriban? So then the possibility became a reality. For you to find this holocron on Korriban, it means you are not the intended apprentice. You were a test."

"What do you mean, a test?" Xanthe asks.

"This holocron was designed for knowledge, while the other was designed to train a suitable apprentice. The fact that you are not aware of the other holocron has changed things." Turning to Imperius, Sidious asks, "I take it that I am no more?"

"No. You and Darth Vader perished on the second Death Star roughly thirty years ago."

Sidious' frowns, "If that is so…" and turns to Rey, "You do not look like you are thirty years of age. You were brought about _after_ my… demise. This is most unusual. Someone continued my work but years after." Turning back to Imperius, Sidious sighs. "I suppose if any answers are to be found, despite the purpose of this holocron to be of Sith knowledge, this is something I cannot provide any more information for you. If you require answers, I suggest you go to the place of my demise. I assume this happened near Endor?"

"Yes, the Death Star was orbiting the forest moon of Endor."

"Endor has many moons. If not the forest moon, then one of those moons will have the answers you seek. Find the ruins of the Death Star and there you will find your answers."

Turning again to Rey, Sidious chuckles, "If only my real self could see you now. For now, this holocron will belong to you. Use my knowledge to become stronger and discover the true power of the Force." And with that, the holocron deactivates.

"Palpatine." Ahsoka says, the name laced with venom. "I can't believe that holocron all this time was actually his. Even in death he still causes suffering."

Xanthe stays silent, observing Rey who still looked pale and deep in thought. "Rey?" Xanthe calls out gently. No response. "Rey?" Xanthe calls out again, "Are you alright?" she probes as gently as possible and delicately places a hand on her shoulder. As soon as the hand barely touched Rey's shoulder, Rey jumps in surprise and starts to reach for her lightsaber until she recognised her surroundings and started to calm down. "Rey?" Xanthe asks again concerned. Rey finally looks back at Xanthe, with a lost look in her eyes. "Sorry... You… Did you say something?"

"I was asking if you are alright?"

"I… No. No I am not alright." Rey states fiercely shaking her head. "How can I be after what he said? And the scariest part is that what he said is probably true, because he was also in my vision during my mediation."

"You mean the vision that had Revan in it?"

"Yes, the one and the same, but he seemed angrier in the vision and was reaching out to either kill me or… control me maybe? I felt a cold chill in my spine like as if he was trying to get inside of me. I don't want to experience that again." Rey says with a shaky voice.

Xanthe's eyes hardened as she remembered when Zash and Valkorion were trying to take over her body. With a determined look in her eyes, Xanthe places her hands on Rey's shoulders trying to comfort her, "He won't touch you, definitely not while I'm around." she promises with a small smile.

"I suppose if I want my answers, I will have to find him won't I?" Rey asks more to herself than to Xanthe. Ahsoka steps in and looks at Xanthe worriedly, "Imperius, I strongly do not recommend that she step foot off Odessen, especially not now. She is most definitely not ready to face him, even if it's just to ask a ghost some questions. Palpatine- ghost or not- cannot be underestimated."

Imperius nods, "I completely agree with you. However, if Rey is to get her answers, this is the only way. Perhaps after a few more months of-"  
"No." Rey responds, cutting Xanthe off. "I waited twenty years to find out who I am. I waited long enough."

"Yes, but you are not even close to ready. It isn't just lightsaber techniques and Force tricks. When it comes to Sidious, it is also a mental battle- A battle of wills. He is a master manipulator. He is dangerous even without weapons, after all, he almost killed Skywalker with lightning alone. You need to be better prepared before you find him. Who knows what he will tell you. He may tell you things that will make you question everything about your life, allegiance, values or even your identity." Xanthe says solemnly.

Rey looks back and forth between Xanthe and Ahsoka, displeasure written all over her face. "I guess there is no point in discussing this anymore, so I'm going to go and meditate." she declares and walks off into the Odessen wilderness not bothering to wait for a reply from either of them. Xanthe watches Rey leave and sighs. "So... Ahsoka, that went well." she states sarcastically.

"She will cool down eventually. I strongly stand by my opinion. She isn't ready. Maybe meditation will actually help." Ahsoka replies. She sighs, "Yes, perhaps. But if he truly is still present and hasn't become one with the Force yet and he is aware of Rey, then she is in danger. I wouldn't put it past him to manipulate her through her meditations. In fact, who knows if what she saw before was just a vision or Sidious actually trying to find her." Imperius states. "I guess I will go and meditate as well. I had been trying to get a balance in the Force, and kept my people in hiding in order to keep that balance of light and dark. Yet if Sidious is still alive… Hopefully the Force gives us a hint of what our next step should be. I will see you later." As she turns to leave, Ahsoka calls out "Xanthe wait. You do realise Palpatine called you Xrysi Sathor right?"  
"Yes, why are you asking? That's the name I gave to you also when we first met."  
"True, but Rey hasn't heard it before. When she calms down and has processed everything, she will ask about that name."

Xanthe sighs. "When that time comes, I will explain the alias I used. Right now, I think we have larger issues." she replies and leaves, walking into the Odessen wilderness.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking through the forests of Odessen, Xanthe finally reached a secluded spot. Looking around she sees a familiar cave, still with the equipment she left in it the last time she was here. She walks slowly to the abandoned campsite structure, inspecting it. She notices the markings despite some of the parts had faded and takes the remains of the banner into her hands, running her fingers along the insignia of the Galactic Alliance. Closing her eyes and sighing silently she whispers, "Oh Lana…I could really use your advice right now."

"Well all you ever needed to do was ask, " _Commander_ ". It took you long enough."

Xanthe's eyes widen in shock as she quickly spins around coming face to face with the former Dark Advisor, former Minister of Sith Intelligence and Sith Lord- Lana Beniko.

"No… Lana? Is it really you?" Xanthe whispers with a shaky voice, not trusting her voice to go any louder without it cracking. "Yes love, it's me." Lana confirms with a smile. "But, all this time…" Xanthe trails off, unsure of where to start. Lana chuckles and sits down on a log near the campsite. "It is your own fault really. You were too stubborn to let go and in doing so, you prevented me from being able to visit, although I am aware that was not your intention. I know people do things they don't mean when they are hurting or upset. So instead, I had gotten in contact with Lord Scourge and Padawan Ahsoka Tano, or should I say, "Fulcrum" out of all people, to try and talk to you on my behalf. I even asked Master Yoda to deliver a message to you."

"Yes… I spoke to Yoda. And Scourge only told me recently that he had actually spoken with you."

Leaning back onto the wall, not trusting her legs to support her, she continues, " It has been so long… I can't believe you are actually here… This isn't a trick is it? Did I accidentally inhale hallucinogenic spores on the way here?"

Lana shakes her head and lets out a lighthearted laugh. "I can assure you, I am very much real. And as I'm sure you have suspected by now, I also met Rey on Korriban. It seems that some of us, depending on our willpower, mastery and understanding of the Force, we can summon an almost complete physical form. It isn't easy or something that can be done on a whim, but it can be done as was demonstrated on Korriban. After all, all life flows through the Force.

The Force is in all things. Darth Plagueis was able to create or at least manipulate life in midichlorians using the Force, so it shouldn't be outside the realm of possibility that those who deny the will of the Force and retain their self and not become one with the Force, could assume a physical body albeit temporarily."

"So it really was you on Korriban. You were the hooded individual." Xanthe voiced, more of a statement than a question. Lana nodded in response. Xanthe breathes deeply and closes her eyes for a moment. " This place brings back so many memories. It is… comforting. And seeing you here… it's almost as if nothing has changed. For a brief moment I forgot you died."

"No one's ever really gone. You should know that by now."

Xanthe turns her head in surprise, hearing Luke's voice. "You too?"

"Of course. I didn't want to interrupt a private moment, but I just wanted to prove a point and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity… As well as see your reaction. Now I know how Old Ben and Yoda feel. I might do this more often just to see the expression on your face." Luke comments with a grin.

His grin fades as he remembers the other reason for his appearance. "Also, I will need to talk to Rey. She is conflicted. Being "Grey" is one thing, but for Rey to be the hope of the Resistance and of the Jedi, she still needs to pass the trials and master the values of a Jedi. Otherwise, she may become another Kylo Ren. Ahsoka managed this feat, only by first mastering what it means to be a Jedi and then understanding when to relax or bend the rules. And the discipline involved helps when controlling aspects of the Dark Side when the need arises."

Lana nods in agreement. "Yes, I agree with Master Skywalker. For us, it is different as we learnt in the dark before learning the light and so you could call us more... "Amicable" Sith. For Rey, since you fear her nature changing should you try exposing her to Sith teachings, you must let her be grounded in the ways of the Jedi first. Ahsoka has helped with her "grey" methods, but I believe it should have been the other way around. Ahsoka's training will help when combating the elements of the Dark Side, but it may not help her from resisting Sidious' influence or from the fear he will most certainly instill in her."

"Fear is the greatest downfall of any Jedi. She needs to truly learn what it means to be a Jedi in order to rebuild the Jedi Order and to conquer her battle with Kylo Ren and the Emperor. And with that, I think I will take my leave. I will leave you to your conversation while I try to speak to Rey." Luke states before he vanishes.

Xanthe continues staring at the spot Luke disappeared from until finally commenting, "...Well now, it seems Luke has taken to his new form very well." With a light laugh Lana responds "Yes, I believe so."

"I thought I was doing the right thing by bringing her here." Xanthe states with a sad sigh. "I wanted her to become a Jedi so badly as to bring balance to the Force, but here we are with Sidious that may not be truly gone and Rey somehow being involved in his schemes. This is starting to sound like another Valkorion. How could I not notice something like this? Genetic code? How in the blazes could she be genetically connected to him? And even so, why now? You would assume she would be as old as the formation of the New Republic at least if that were true." Turning back to face Lana, she asks "I have made this too personal with Rey haven't I? I admit, she reminds me too much of Cora. I thought I could help her the way I helped my sister, but Cora didn't seem to have the same troubles on Korriban as Rey experienced. Holocron or not."

Noticing Lana's lack of response, it started to arouse suspicions in Xanthe. "For you to be awfully quiet about this is unusual and only happens in certain circumstances. It may have been a long time, but that doesn't mean I have forgotten things… Is there anything you would like to share with me..." _Advisor_ "?" Xanthe asks, in an unusually polite tone with her arms crossed.

Lana seemed to hesitate briefly before responding, "There are…. Things that we cannot be directly involved in. As part of our new "nature" I suppose, we are privy to more knowledge, information and abilities than we ever could be while we were alive. The Force has "rules" I suppose you could say. What I can tell you, as you probably did suspect knowing that Sidious isn't completely gone, is that yes, Sidious has tampered with those rules. The Force is constantly trying to restore balance as you have stated many times. You have done nothing wrong by trying to make Rey follow a Jedi's path. It is unfortunate that Master Skywalker refused to train her. That action alone had changed things. But the reason Luke Skywalker became a recluse… Why he refused to train Rey and caused her to become a… "lost Jedi" perhaps? Could it be possible that these things… These actions and events were done on purpose, perhaps even orchestrated?"

Xanthe frowns, "What are you trying to say?"

"What I am saying is that perhaps there is more to you and Rey than you realise. You have done nothing wrong by bringing her here. After all, it helped you to come to terms and reconcile with your past. Now Rey needs a friend more than ever. She needs the guidance of a Jedi now more than ever. And if she can't have that, then a friend can be better than any Jedi. She is like the new Meetra Surik of the Jedi. Her role that is. She will find others like her… She will find other "Lost Jedi" and with them, rebuild the Jedi Order."

Xanthe raises an eyebrow and comments, "Hmph. That almost sounded like it was quoted."

Lana actually looked slightly embarrassed. "Well… Somewhat. I had spoken to the Exile myself and she told me of the events that led to her Exile and the rebuilding of the Jedi Order and her death at the hands of Lord Scourge. She mentioned that the Sith Lord Darth Traya- also called Kreia, told her of the "Lost Jedi", basically those who were Force sensitive, but never discovered by the Jedi to be trained."

"I see." Xanthe replies, nodding her head slightly. "Too bad Cora isn't around, perhaps she could have helped Rey."

"I agree. But as I said, things have been…. Tampered with. What you have done by keeping our Sith preserved and keeping Ahsoka safe and in a semi Grey state and trying to keep Rey in the Light have helped keep things stable, but only just. Because you see, with the Sith thriving in Wild Space and the Jedi flourishing in the Core Worlds, for all intents and purposes, there should have been balance. But then, if the balance is there, then why were the Jedi destroyed when the Sith were still there? Why did this happen?" Lana asks Xanthe, not too unlike a teacher questioning a student.

Xanthe frowns, "I am still trying to understand what happened. I must be missing something. Sidious convinced Anakin Skywalker to join him. After that, the Jedi were destroyed. Anakin was thought to be the Chosen One. The one to bring balance. He had the opportunity to destroy Bane's Order of Two and restore the two factions, but instead he decimated the Jedi Order and in doing so, destroyed any balance there could have been."

"Yes, but his wife was already pregnant with twins was she not?"

"Yes? Your point?"

"The Force had a failsafe. Twins. Two Force sensitive children to bring balance back. Yet only one was trained. Balance was semi restored, with Vader saving Luke and destroying the Emperor and thus, somewhat fulfilling the role of the Chosen One. And for many years, everything seemed to be ok. Our Sith were keeping the Dark Side balance and Luke was rebuilding the Jedi Order with Ben Solo, hence keeping the Light Side balance. Yet then Luke became fearful, Snoke appeared out of nowhere, the Dark Side sect- Knights of Ren appeared and the Jedi all but decimated once again, as if someone was trying to stop the Force from achieving this balance. The only thing that hasn't been taken into account is Ahsoka Tano.

The Force is suffering from the imbalance and is being manipulated. Darth Traya had dreamed of being able to kill the Force, but this individual is wanting to do what Valkorion was trying to do- Control the very Force itself. This individual is getting closer, but the fact that Ahsoka is still a Jedi- Grey or not, she is still more attuned and aligned with the Light, is the only reason the Force has not resolved to more "drastic" measures of balance."  
"You know who is orchestrating this?" Xanthe asks

"Yes, but I cannot get more involved than I already have regarding this matter. There are things you and Rey must discover yourself, no matter how much I would like to give you all the information you desire. Such is the will of the Force I suppose."

"That does not help me at all Lana. All you have done is created more questions."

"I know and I am sorry. I have said much more than I had intended and others will probably reprimand me for that. But I could not leave without telling you this. It is not just the Sith and the Jedi that will be affected by this. It isn't just the galaxy that will be devastated by this. Force ghosts- including myself may cease to exist if something is not done. We cannot be directly involved as we are part of the Force now. We can only do so much in keeping balance from the other side. It is up to all of you. The only Force ghost that may be exempt is Anakin Skywalker due to his unique circumstances, but I am not sure."

Xanthe looks at Lana alarmed. "No." She replies, shaking her head. "No, no, no. I will not lose you again. I will do whatever it takes. I destroyed Valkorion. I will destroy whoever is behind this also. Tell me where I need to go."

"All I can tell you is that you must follow the path you see before you and see where it leads. Go with Rey to find the ruins of the Death Star and follow wherever the path leads you from there. Be there for Rey. She has no one else."

"I will not abandon her Lana. You have my word." Xanthe promises. "In saying that, don't you dare leave me either."

"Never. I will always be with you, as I always have. Just try not to be so stubborn in the future." Lana says with a slight smile.

"I will do my best." Xanthe says, with a slight smile as well. "I… I love you Lana. I always have and I always will."

"And I you, my love. Unfortunately I must go. I assume Luke has finished speaking with Rey. You should find her."

"Very well."

"Goodbye Xanthe. May the Force ever serve you." Lana replies with a smile.

"Goodbye Lana." Xanthe replies, Lana bowing her head as she vanishes. As soon as she has completely vanished, Xanthe lets out a long sigh. "Here we go again. Khem Val would have definitely been helpful now… Well, time to find Rey and tell Ahsoka of these new developments. Maybe I should've just taken the role of Empress and stayed in Wild Space…" She mutters to herself, walking back to the dirt trail to find Rey.


	15. Chapter 15

After minutes of jogging, walking and hiking, Rey finally comes to a stop at a clearing overlooking the building Ahsoka calls home, with a beautiful view of a lake in the distance.

She admires the scenery, ' _More beautiful than Jakku.'_ She thinks to herself. After she catches her breath, she settles down in a cross-legged position and starts to meditate.

" _I study the Force as if it were a poison."_

" _The fact that you are so strong in the Force and have had such relatively little training could have terrible consequences. For you, and for everyone around you."_

 _"So many centuries. The Emperor and his Dread Masters, trying to wrench me apart, to unleash my anger and hatred… I detached myself from the pain. Focused on the Force."_

" _I was betrayed, so I became Darth Traya- the Lord of Betrayal."_

"… _History remembers her as the Exile. To me, she was… more."_

" _The triumph of the Jedi teachings is a cold thing when there is no one left alive to appreciate them."_

All these words were being whispered around her, eventually a person came into focus, with a white Jedi robe and short white hair. "I am Meetra Surik, a Jedi Knight and General in the Mandalorian Wars. I have heard of you Rey. Unfortunately I cannot stay long so I have one thing to tell you. Remember this- Remember who you are and the choices that led you to this point. Trust in your training, trust in yourself." Surik finishes with a reassuring smile before fading away.

 _"I am a Jedi. We must unburden ourselves from emotion and passion to find peace."_

Another figure comes into focus, "I am Satele Shan. I was acquainted with Darth Imperius for a time. Many trials await you young one. Trust in the Force, but also remember- The dark side is subtle and insidious." she warns before fading.

Many other voices continue to whisper to her, other robed figures, some with masks, some unmasked, visions of her friends in the Resistance, she was being pulled through the current of it all until Sidious appears.

He looks at her, just observing. "You have come further than expended young _Jedi._ But it is of no consequence. You. Are. Mine." Sidious states and starts to laugh, pulling Rey out of her meditation.

"Ah good, you're finally done."

Rey turns around to find Luke sitting on a rock a couple of metres away. "How…? Is that really you? I thought you were dead?"

"Yes it's me. You know, no one's ever really gone. I am what you call a Force ghost. When one accepts their destiny for example or can reconcile with themselves and the Force, they can hold onto their identity and instead of becoming one with the Force, can retain a sense of self and live on- well," Luke stops, gesturing to himself "like this."

"I see…" Rey replies, blinking. "Why are you here?"

Sighing, Luke replies. "I am here to help you in your journey to become a Jedi. If you hope to confront Darth Sidious and even Kylo Ren, you must first learn to conquer your fear. Fear is the failing of many Jedi and also the main cause of the fall of any Jedi, no matter how powerful. Fear of losing my mother is what caused my father to join the Emperor and the Dark Side. Fear of losing my friends is what caused me to lose my hand and almost be captured by Vader. Fear of my sister turning to the Dark Side almost made me kill my own father. Fear is what compelled me to consider killing Ben, causing the destruction of the Jedi Academy and of the Order and led him to join Snoke and become Kylo Ren." Luke says sadly. "Giving into my fear is what allowed the First Order to destroy the New Republic and fear is what stopped me from training you."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Rey asks.

Like Lana, Luke briefly hesitates as if choosing his words carefully, "There are… events unfolding and… other things working in the shadows that will directly involve you. I noticed Sidious has a holocron and I am aware of what was said. I can't say if anything he implies is true or not, but in order to find any answers, you will have to find the ruins of the second Death Star first and see if there is any remnant of him left there. If there is… You will need to be prepared for anything. He seems harmless, but he can see through your mind and into your very soul. He fooled even the most powerful of the Jedi. He plays on a person's fears."

"Then what do I do?"

"Remember who you are. Accept help from your friends and draw on their strength. Don't let fear consume you. Only then will you be able to withstand the… Insidious nature of Palaptine and the Dark Side." Luke turns his head as he finishes speaking, as if listening to something and then turns back with a kind smile. "Well it seems my time is up. Lana's already finished giving Xanthe some overdue advice. Try to work together Rey. Even though your destiny is that of a Jedi and hers of a Sith, you both have no one else. She will help defend you if need be from the Emperor. Whatever you do Rey, do not go alone."

Rey huffs in frustration, "I am trying, but she keeps pushing me away."

"I know, but after the chat she just had with Lana Beniko, she won't be doing that anymore."

"Lana Beniko is here too? Who is she exactly?"

"Imperius hasn't told you?"

"She has, but I feel she has held back on things."

"I suppose it is personal to her. Basically she was a Sith Lord during the time of the Old Republic, was an advisor to high ranking Sith Lords, helped expose traitors in the Empire and worked closely with Darth Imperius during the war, especially during the rise of the Revanites. There was speculation if the Knights of Ren are connected to Revan in any way, but I can't say for sure yet. Anyway, they became very close and their friendship developed into something more. Her inevitable death was quite painful for Xanthe and until just before Odessen, still couldn't find a way to come to terms with it. That is all I will say on the matter. Hopefully the next time you speak either Lana or Xanthe will be more forthcoming."

"Thankyou Master Skywalker. I should go find Xanthe I suppose."

"No need. She is close by. May the Force be with you Rey." Luke farewells and fades away.

Trying to process everything she just heard and saw, Rey sits down on the now vacant rock and patiently waits for Xanthe to show up.

Xanthe lets out a huff as she reaches the end of the trail and stretches out her limbs and looks out over the edge, admiring the cliffside view of Odessen. She turns her head and is surprised to see Rey sitting on a rock looking at her expectedly. "You don't look all that surprised to see me here." Xanthe states. Rey shrugs in response. "Master Skywalker told me you were on your way."

Xanthe blinks in response. "Ah, I see." Gesturing to the space next to Rey, she asks "May I?"

Hearing no response, Xanthe assumes that's a yes and sits down with a contented sigh. "I always used to do these kinds of hikes back in the day... I used to come to this place quite often in fact. I found the view to be well worth the effort."

"Yes, it is a beautiful view." Rey agrees.

Blowing out a breath, Xanthe harshly rests her hands on her knees making an audible thud. "I have never been good with… Tact. I have tried, and- I believe- I have improved, but still haven't quite mastered the art of it. I doubt I ever will. We both know what Sidious said and we both know you have to go to find answers. It may very well be a trap, but I don't see any other way around it.

The fact that Luke spoke to both of us and that I had another visit me- both being cryptic- is never a good sign. I never intended for you to be in this position. I was meant to help you become a Jedi and restore the Jedi Order and I would be mopping up the mess in the background. Smoke was meant for me to deal with and Kylo Ren, yours. But this was most… unexpected. Did your meditation reveal anything?"

"I heard a lot of voices, but three spoke to me specifically like as if they were really there. One called herself Meetra Surik, the other Sateele Shan and the third was the Emperor."

"What did they say?"

"Meetra told me to trust in my training and to trust myself and not to have any doubts. Satele warned me of the insidious nature of the Dark Side. And the Emperor said I belonged to him. Also, Luke kept warning me about fear being the cause of the fall of many Jedi. They all seemed quite adamant about trust and fear."

Xanthe frowns in thought. "It is true, fear is one of the main weaknesses of the Jedi. Sidious is an expert in playing on emotions, especially fear. But being true to yourself… it sounds to me you are up for the test or should I say trial of your life. Not just to become a Jedi… but a test regarding your own identity." Facing Rey directly, she continues, "I will accompany you to the Endor system. I will not abandon you Rey. I will be right by your side no matter what happens. You will not face this alone."

Rey gives an appreciative smile in return. "Thank you Xanthe. I was hoping you would say that. You don't know how relieved I am right now."

Xanthe grins in response. "Good. Now that is settled, I will break the news to Ahsoka and get HK to prep the ship. In this case, it may be best if we travel together." Rey nods in agreement and they both slowly head back down to base.

"Ahsoka! Am I disturbing your meditation!?" Xanthe shouts out as they enter the building. "No." Ahsoka calmly responds, walking out from one of the rooms, "I had a feeling you were going to do that." Seeing both Xanthe and Rey, Ahsoka continues, "So what's the verdict?" she asks.

Looking at Rey and back to Ahsoka, Xanthe replies, "We're going to Endor."

"What!?" Ahsoka yells out in surprise. "You and I both know that is very dangerous and the odds of this being a trap are very high."

"I know." Xanthe agrees, "But I don't see any other choice in the matter. This directly affects Rey whether we like it or not. My meditations have been somewhat disrupted and pointless as of late, but Rey's seem to be quite clear on the matter. Not to mention I have been graced with Luke Skywalker and Lana Beniko's presence and Rey has had messages from beyond the realm of the living in the forms of Meetra Surik- the Exile, Grand Master Satele Shan and of course- Palpatine. With everything I have heard, I can't sit idly by, especially if Sidious is somehow manipulating events from beyond the grave or even manipulating the Force itself." Xanthe states firmly. "Remember, I don't need your permission "Fulcrum", I am telling you out of courtesy of what we intend to do. If you wish to come, I will not stop you, but I believe it will be better if you stay hidden. I am pretty sure he will want to kill you and also if anything should happen, at least you can carry the Jedi legacy, because after Rey… There is no one else Padawan Tano." Xanthe reminds her.

Ahsoka holds a hand to her forehead, shaking her head and sighs. "You are right Imperius. Even though I don't like it. Rest assured I will keep everything going and keep your failsafe plan running as agreed many years ago." She quickly steps forward enveloping both Rey and Xanthe in an embrace. "Be careful you two and may the Force be with you." Ahsoka says before she lets go and steps away.

"Thank you Ahsoka, may the Force be with you always." Rey responds.

"May the Force be with you- and may it serve you well." Imperius adds, causing an amused smirk to appear on both her face and Ahsoka's. "Now hurry up and go!" Ahsoka urges, waving them off.

Laughing, Xanthe turns to Rey, "Alright, let's go." And as they walk off towards the _Fury class ship-_ ' _The Rage',_ Rey looks over noticing Xanthe on her communicator ordering HK to prep the ship and herself wondering what to expect when they get to the Death Star ruins on the moon of Endor.


End file.
